Speaker Dogara quits APC for PDP.

 

Yakubu Dogara, a former House Speaker, has defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party from the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Only 48 hours have passed since Dogara and other irate northern APC officials announced their support for PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.

Dogara joined the party while Atiku was campaigning for president in Lagos.

The event put an end to rumors about Dogara and his camp members' potential next moves.

Recall that the Northern Elders Consultative Forum, which includes the APC's northern Christian elders, officially approved Atiku for president on Friday.

According to the APC Northern Christian leaders, Atiku was chosen after the leaders decided to collaborate with their Muslim counterparts to support one of the presidential candidates to oppose the APC's presidential ticket for those of similar faith.

Dogara left the PDP in 2020 and joined the APC.

Before the 2019 general election, Dogara, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and a few governors switched from the APC to the PDP.

However, Dogara once more joined the opposition party in 2022 after the Northern Elders Consultative Forum asserted that the APC's Muslim-Muslim ticket was detrimental to the ruling party.

The group claimed that in making their choice, the leaders had taken into account factors such as the PDP's current organizational structure, the applicants' qualifications, signs of national penetration, and racial and religious balance, among others.

On Sunday, Dogara was chosen to join the PDP Campaign Council.

Aminu Tambuwal, the Governor of Sokoto State and Director-General of the PDP PCO, announced the appointment with immediate effect in a statement on Sunday.

The statement said, in part: “The leadership of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council wishes to formally announce that Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has been appointed as a member of the Presidential Campaign Council with immediate effect.

“This is part of our continuous effect in joining hands with our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to recover our great country, Nigeria.”