Dogara finally defects, picks PDP nomination form

Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, has reportedly picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination form to return to the lower legislative chamber.

The development is an indication that the speaker has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP.

Dogara was said to have picked the form, and that of expression of interest, on Wednesday.

PUNCH quoted a member of the PDP national working committee as saying: “Yes, he (Dogara) had picked our forms, but don’t quote me, he has joined us.”

The speaker is expected to formally announce his defection when the lawmakers return from recess later this month.

WHY IS DOGARA LEAVING THE APC?

Over the past few months, the executive and the national assembly have been at loggerheads, and this has forced a considerable number of the lawmakers to dump the APC for PDP, including Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Dogara was among those rumoured to have been plotting his defection when about 37 members of the house of representatives left the ruling party.

Although the speaker had stayed back, he has not been seen in recent meetings of the party.

While announcing that he was returning to the green chamber for another term, Dogara hinted at a grievance with some members of the APC.

He had said: “Some people said they will retire us from politics, but we want to inform them that only God and the electorate can retire us.”