The quest for the 2023 presidential or vice presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), might have informed the decision of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara to join the ruling party.
The chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jubrin, disclosed this in a statement he released in Abuja on Monday.
The Interim National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Malla Mai Buni had, on Friday, announced Dogara’s defection shortly after he led the former Speaker to a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House.
Dogara, who hailed from Bauchi state, had stated on Saturday that his defection stemmed from some irreconcilable differences with the Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed.
He cited impunity and mismanagement of state resources by the governor, saying Mohammed’s leadership style ran counter to the principles of the PDP.
But the PDP BoT chairman said the former Speaker was being economical with words, adding that Dogara never laid such complaints with the national leadership of the PDP.
The BoT chair 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.”