…Walid Jibrin accuses Dogara of defecting to APC for a presidential ambition
The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibrin has claimed that the main reason the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara left PDP to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) was to pursue the presidential ambition.
Jibrin revealed this on Monday in a statement adding the reasons Dogara gave for leaving the main opposition party were not genuine enough, except for seeking presidential ambition in APC.
Recall that Dogara who defected to APC last week Friday tendered his defection letter to Bogoro Ward C Chairman of the PDP in Bauchi State raising questions against Governor Bala Muhammed’s administration as reasons to dump PDP.
Read also: DOGARA: Can Nigerian democracy survive needless mass inter-party defections?
However, the PDP BoT Chairman disagreed with the former Speaker’s excuses as he said that his defection did not consider reconciliation made available in the party’s existing conflict management apparatus.
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“I have read with mixed feelings the reasons given by the former Speaker for defecting to the APC,” Jibrin said.
“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.
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Read also: Dogara tenders defection letter to PDP, states reasons for defecting to APC
“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 achieve 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,” the PDP BoT said.
It should be recollected that Dogara dumped PDP to join APC before general election in 2015 and became the Speaker under the ruling party. He then defected to PDP ahead of 2019 general elections to return to the House as a member representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa federal constituency of Bauchi State.