A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor of Yobe State and Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Committee, of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, confirmed this on Friday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buni, while fielding questions from State House reporters, said: “They (Nigerians) shouldn’t be surprised because the former Speaker is a member of the APC. The reason he left the APC is no more there.”
Dogara officially defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on January 29, 2019.
He had returned to the PDP and secured the House of Representatives’ ticket to represent Bogoro/Dassa/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency of Bauchi state prior to his formal announcement.
Asked whether Dogara had returned to the APC, the caretaker chairman said: “Yeah, he’s back.”
Buni, who was asked whether his return was about 2023 strategy, said: “Well, of course, not only 2023 strategy, this party, we are rebuilding the party to outlive all of us. It’s not only about specific time or period, it’s not about election, it’s not about electioneering. It is about building a party.”
The APC caretaker chairman, while speaking on the efforts to bring back defectors and the assurance of the party to the returnees, said: “Well, we are meeting all our aggrieved members, particularly those who have interest in coming back to the party. They should feel free to do so. We are assuring them and there is no crime in double assurance.
“We will do justice to all our members and that’s what will bring peace and that is what will guarantee peaceful co-existence, that is what will bring the consolidation of the party, the rebuilding of the party. Without doing justice, you cannot achieve that and we are sure of doing justice to all our members.”
Buni said the visit to President Buhari was in continuation of the effort to rebuild the party and “brief him on the developments.”
The governor, who spoke on the reaction of the President, said: “He welcomed him. He’s happy with the development. That’s what he’s looking for. We are rebuilding the party and these are the steps we are taking towards rebuilding the party.”
