December 05, (THEWILL) – Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has accepted his appointment as a member of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
THEWILL earlier reported that the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, appointed Dogara as a member of the PDP-PCC.
Accepting the appointment, Dogara joined the PDP presidential campaign held in Lagos, on Monday.
The former House of Representatives speaker had in 2020, joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) after spending a few years in the major opposition party.
THEWILL recalls that the former Reps speaker withdrew his support for the ruling party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Bola Tinubu, APC presidential candidate and Kashim Shettima, his running mate, are both Muslims
Dogara and Babachir Lawal are both members of a group of northern Christians in the APC, who rejected the party’s same-faith ticket.
The leader of the group, Babachir Lawal, had said Obi would be the group’s choice. Dogara, however, alongside other members of the group, distanced themselves from Lawal’s endorsement.
On Friday, Dogara alongside some Christian and Muslim political leaders in the 19 northern States and the FCT, endorsed Atiku for the 2023 presidency.
Meanwhile, Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused Dogara of deviating from his earlier stance for the southern presidency.
Wike, who spoke on Monday, during the flag-off of Indorama-Agbonchia-Ogale-Ebubu East/West Link Road, claimed that Dogara had insisted on Nigeria’s presidential seat returning to southern Nigeria, as against his most recent support for Atiku from the northern region.
“What I don’t like in life is people that don’t have character. I can’t stand it. At the appropriate time, I would challenge them to a debate. Ask Dogara: what made you leave PDP?
“Dogara was to see me; unknown to me, he gave me an excuse and I was watching Dogara on TV being received by President Muhammadu Buhari that he had gone to APC. I say ‘Okay, no problem’. The same Dogara said the presidency should be zoned to southern Nigeria for there to be peace.
“Now, I hear about the same Dogara (backing Atiku from the north). Is that how you do things? Can’t you say something and stand by it?”, he queried.