Dogara faces humiliating defeat if …, says APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is not surprised over the reported defection of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

The APC acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena, on Thursday said the party empathised with Dogara on his confusion and despair over bleak political future given the fact that he is not on ground and a political paperweight in his home of Bauchi state.

Nabena advised Dogara against what he called his ill-advised decision to recontest his House of Representatives seat under the opposition party he was linked with because a crushing and humiliating defeat awaited him.

“We have received several media requests for a reaction to the purported defection of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to one of the opposition political parties, as reported in the media.

“In reacting, a recent comment by President Muhammadu Buhari, aptly sums Dogara’s reported defection: “The weakest people whose senses of expectation do not align with our vision have exited our party”.

“Dogara’s reported defection has not come to us as a surprise. It was only a matter of time judging by Dogara’s anti-party antics in the National Assembly where in connivance with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, he exploited all available avenues to sabotage and undermine the APC-led executive.

“Dogara’s anti-party activities which enabled one of the opposition party’s sole victory in Bogoro Local Government Area (Dogara’s council) during the recent Bauchi South Senatorial bye-election won by the APC is another pointer, among several others.

“Indeed, all politics is local. As a party, we empathise with Dogara on his confusion and despair over his bleak political future given the fact that he is not on ground and a political paperweight in his home Bauchi state. In his emergence as Speaker, Dogara was merely used by his political master to achieve their selfish political ends at the time. They have since moved on to pursue their individual political aspirations and left Dogara in the cold.

“We would advise Dogara against his ill-advised decision to recontest his House of Representatives seat under the opposition party he is linked with because a crushing and humiliating defeat surely awaits him.

“As a party, we remain united and committed to our Progressives ideologies. We urge party faithful to consolidate on our strengths and collectively go into the 2019 general elections as a united and strong political fighting force to sustain the Change Agenda we are implementing for the benefit of Nigerians,” the statement signed by Nabena read.