By Segun Awofadeji
Several supporters of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, have formally defected from the People Democratic Party (PDP) to join their leader in the APC.
Receiving the defectors at the weekend in Bogoro LGA, the APC Chairman in the council area, Haruna Rikaya, explained that all those who defected from the PDP are faithful supporters of Dogara, who are always ready to follow him anywhere he goes.
Rikaya also said all the reasons given by Dogara to return to the APC from the PDP are genuine, so the only option left for him in order to salvage his political future was to leave the PDP back to the APC.
The party chairman assured them that all the defectors would be treated equally with those they met on ground because, according to him, what is more important is unity of purpose, to enable the APC bounce back to regain power in subsequent elections starting with the local government election in October this year.
Leader of the defectors, Bulus Iliya, said his decision to return to the APC was informed by the need to be united with his political godfather, Dogara, stressing that “in Nigeria politics, loyalty pays, therefore as a political student of Dogara, I will remain loyal to him.”
Iliya called on the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, to be just and fair in the conduct of the local government council election, saying: “Just as he got fair and just treatment in 2019 when he won the gubernatorial election, he should ensure that whoever wins the election should be declared the winner no matter which political party he or she belongs.”
