Dogara to pick PDP forms for Reps

Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara ‎will in the next few days join the PDP to contest on its platform for a return to the House, Daily Trust can report.
Dogara had been rumoured to be nurturing joining the PDP for the past months‎ following the defections of his political mentor and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Senate President Bukola Saraki, to the PDP.
However, Dogara had remained in the APC despite the defections, but had since stopped attending any function of the APC, especially the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) held recently, among other major meetings.
The speaker had on Tuesday declared that he would recontest for the seat of Bagoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa Federal Constituency. But he did not mention the political party’s platform he will do so.
The APC, had on Tuesday closed the sale and submission of nomination forms for all elective offices, and there was no indication that Dogara obtained any form whatsoever.
As the PDP’s deadline for obtaining and submitting its nomination and expression of interest forms for governorship and National Assembly offices closes on September 17, which is Monday, it is now becoming clear that Dogara will obtain the party’s form.
A lawmaker said Dogara was just a few days away from obtaining the PDP nomination forms. “I’m sure in the next few days he’ll obtain the form of PDP since the closing date is Monday,” the lawmaker who did not want to be named, said.
A PDP member in the House also told our correspondent yesterday that the speaker will obtain PDP’s form to recontest since he did not obtain that of APC.
“The fact that he did not purchase APC form is a clear indication that he has left the party. Maybe they don’t understand something. Dogara left APC long ago because of the kind of treatment they meted out on him,” the lawmaker said.
Asked if it was not too late for the speaker to join the PDP and contest on its platform, the lawmaker said Dogara would be given a special waiver.
Already, some of Dogara’s aides have since left the APC, with one of them, Iliya Habila, contesting for the Bauchi State House of Assembly ‎to represent Bogoro constituency.
Another of his aides, Rinsola Abiola, recently resigned her membership of the APC and reportedly joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on which platform she is likely to contest.
The speaker has been having a strained relationship with the Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abubakar, for over two years.