Speaker officially dumps APC for PDP

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has officially dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Speaker was at the PDP's national secratariat in Abuja on Thursday, September 20, 2018 to submit his expression of interest and nomination forms to seek re-election in the 2019 general elections on the platform of the party.

He follows in the footsteps of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and around 50 other lawmakers in both the upper and lower legislative chambers who dumped the APC in July and August 2018. Many of them joined the PDP.

Why Dogara joined PDP

A group of supporters had trooped to his residence last week to present him with the expression of interest and nomination forms of the PDP despite still being a member of the APC.

Even though Dogara didn't explicitly mention that he was dumping the APC, he hinted last week that his relationship with the party was rocky.

While addressing supporters at his residence on Thursday, September 13, he said he was asked to beg for the ticket of the APC.

He said, "Truly, I have decided that I will not seek election again. They said they will give me ticket in APC but that I must go and beg for it. I said I do not need the ticket. In politics, I have never gone to anybody's house to beg for ticket.

“My ticket is my people. I have assured them that even if I run under zero party, my people will vote for me. So long as it is Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa, even if we run under zero party; we will win by God’s grace.

"I have seen the forms you brought. I don't know how you got it but I must thank you for this sacrifice. Left for me; I will appeal that you give me some time to go and consult further.

"I have a lot of supporters in the APC but I have not told any of them what I intend to do or where I will go because I was not given the opportunity but I will assure you that wherever you want me to go or whatever you want me to do I will obey you because you have been with me."

Dogara has been representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State since 2007 and was elected Speaker in 2015.