I defected to PDP because APC does not trust defectors from PDP, says Dogara - Islanders Magazine

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Friday 21 September 2018

I defected to PDP because APC does not trust defectors from PDP, says Dogara


The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has said that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress does not trust those who joined the party from the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said that at every discussion or meeting, the defectors were always told that they were the problems of the ruling party.

Dogara spoke in Abuja on Thursday while submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms that will enable him to contest the House of Representatives primaries in the PDP.

The Speaker currently represents Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives.

His visit to the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, was the first time he was coming out publicly to identify with the party, which he abandoned in 2014 to pitch his tent with the then newly-formed All Progressives Congress.

Dogara regretted that the ruling party of which he said he was part of from the outset, had been hijacked.

He, however, said that not every member of the APC “is evil”,  adding that there were “good people there”  as well.

He said he was a founding member of the PDP, saying he was among those who worked on its first constitution.

But on account of certain developments which he refused to mention, he said he had to leave the party for another party in his journey to nationhood “believing that we were teaming together with spirited people to build a new Nigeria.”

He added, “But permit me to say that in the APC when we moved in, obviously they are not all devils. There are wonderful people in APC, but there are equally some people who have a ravenously wayward sense of personal entitlement.

“And these really are the problems with the APC. When it serves their interests, they say ‘the party is supreme’.

“When it doesn’t serve their interests, they castigate the party including the leadership of the party.

“These are people who are the lots of the family. They do what they will while others are required to do what they must.

“And in such an environment, I am disabled. We have a lot of bouncers in the party.

“And in a situation where I have a very clear conscience even though a lot of people were happy with me, but I can tell you that I would rather be hated for who I am than be loved for who I am not.

“So, I have decided to come back to my original root because the truth is that when we went into the APC after the general elections, there was never an occasion in which we were not reminded that we do not belong.

“When there are discussions, you will hear reference to the fact that those who joined us from the PDP are our problems.

“So, that discussion will end from today since we have left. So, I have decided to join my brothers – members of this great party the PDP, so that we can chart a new frontier in our state of Bauchi and for our dear nation Nigeria.”

The Speaker said he did not leave the ruling party because he was denied ticket or form to re-contest.

Rather, he said he left because he and others were not satisfied with how his state, Bauchi and the country were being managed.

He said, “I am here not because they (the APC) have denied me a ticket to contest. And I am not bothered about contesting the election.

“What bothers me is the state of my state (Bauchi). The situation in which our people are and the state of this country.

“So, even if you give me a ticket to work in a situation where my conscience is totally not aligned with, to be candid, I cannot function effectively.”

Welcoming Dogara,  the  National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, said that the party was happy that the Speaker had returned to the PDP.

Secondus was represented by the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Mr Yemi Akinwonmi.

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