Dogara Lied Over Reasons For Leaving PDP

Walid Jubrin made the accusation in a statement he released in Abuja on Monday.

The chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jubrin, said former speaker Yakubu Dogara lied over his reasons for leaving PDP for APC.

In a shock announcement Friday, Governor Mala Buni, the APC caretaker chairman said Dogara had returned to the APC, which he quit in 2018. Buni spoke after a meeting with President Buhari.

Dogara from Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa constituency Bauchi state, on Sunday explained that his defection stemmed from some irreconcilable differences with the Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed.

He accused the governor of mismanagement of state resources and said the governor had derailed from the coalition principles that brought him to power.

But the PDP BoT chairman carpeted the ex-speaker for lying.

“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.”