Why Dogara Returned To APC- PDP BoT Chair

The presidential or vice-presidential ambition of Yakubu Dogara, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, may have informed his decision to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News recalls that Dogara, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, had dumped the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and returned to the APC.

The Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Convention Planning Committee and Governor of Kebbi State, Mai Malla Buni, disclosed this after the duo met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Although Dogara had declined to speak to State House Correspondents after the meeting, Mai Buni told journalists that the former Speaker “is now a member of APC.”

Explaining his decision to leave the PDP, Dogara alluded to failure of governance in his native state of Bauchi under the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed.

The former speaker noted that he cannot successfully ask questions about the failure of governance in Bauchi state without being accused of disloyalty if he were to remain in the PDP.

But in a statement on Monday, the chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jubrin, dismissed the excuse of the former speaker.

Senator Jibrin accused Dogara of being economical with words, adding that Dogara never laid such complaints with the national leadership of the PDP.

He said, “I have read with mixed feelings the reasons given by the former Speaker for defecting to the APC.

“I am equally sorry for Dogara for not exploring available channels of dispute resolution in the party’s constitution before defecting to the ruling party.

“I became more disturbed considering Dogara’s position as a former Speaker and a member of the BoT of the PDP.

“With his position as a member of the BoT, Mr Dogara never laid any complaints to me as the chairman of BoT, which is the highest advisory organ of the party and remained the conscience of the party.

“Considering the reasons he gave for his actions, one is compelled to believe that Mr Dogara has other strong reasons for leaving the PDP.

“I am beginning to suspect that the former Speaker has underground motives for joining the APC. I am beginning to suspect that he has a plan of becoming President or Vice President in 2023 on the platform of the APC, which he thought he could never archive in the PDP.

“I want to assure the former Speaker that the PDP shall continue to be very strong and united and its doors will remain open to all Nigerians.

“As Chairman of the BoT, I urge all members of the party to remain calm and strong as the BoT will continue to play its role as the conscience of the party, as contained in its constitution.”