All set for Saraki, Dogara to dump APC for PDP in their states this week
No doubt, the kitchen is getting hotter and hotter for followers of political trends in terms of alignments and realignments at the eve of every general election in Nigeria.
Strong indications emerged Monday on the readiness of the two leading principle officers at the National Assembly, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara State) and Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara (Bauchi State) that finishing touches are being to their plans to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Already, sources say in Kwara State, both the Senate President and governor are on the same page of defection as even though the Senate President is quite slow in action, his political calculation seems to be second to none in recent Nigerian political permutations considering his rare ability to escape ahead of time from security operatives to preside plenary on the day 14 Senators dumped APC.
Also, his state governor, before the end of last week, gave similar hints that he is likely to leave the party to the PDP and the development forced the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to hurriedly hit the state and embarked on a fence mending rally which observers say failed to hit the right cord in the ears of ready-defectors.
On the side of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dogara, first signal for his ouster stemmed from his conspicuous absence at a parley by the APC House caucus with the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) recently.
Insiders say he deliberately delayed his planned defection from the party last week (Tuesday) when 36 six of his colleagues decamped to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Political followers in Bauchi State say Dogara had been allegedly sidelined from the affairs of the party in the State due to a disagreement with Governor Mohammed Abubakar.
Sources in the know of his political calculations speculate that within days, the head of Nigerian Green chambers will formerly announce his defection at his Bogoro/ Dass/Tafawa Balewa federal constituency of the state.
The speculations are heating up as a group of concerned members of the House of Representatives under the auspices of Parliamentary Democrats Group (PDG), has applauded the decision by Dogara to dump the APC.
Already, aggrieved members of the group rose from an emergency meeting yesterday, warning the APC to desist from surreptitious attempts to prevent Dogara from defecting to PDP.
In a statement by the group’s image-maker, Mr. Timothy Simon Golu, described as “futile and a sheer waste of time” the desperate attempts by the APC to stop Dogara from going ahead with the decision.
Golu, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, averred that “It is laughable that the APC is running cap in hand begging the speaker to remain in a party that has for so long failed to acknowledge his relevance and contribution to its existence.
“Nemesis has now caught up with the party as the speaker and other men of conscience have decided to pitch their tents with a party (PDP) that recognises that the collective gain of Nigerians is greater than a few primordial interests.
“Dogara will defect to any party he chooses without fear of impeachment from his position as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
Golu argued further that “If the APC loved Dogara so much and wanted him to remain in its fold, why did they humiliate him during their ward congresses when the speaker and all his associates were schemed out and humiliated even though he is the highest political office holder from the North east and number four citizen in the country.”The group accused APC of impunity and undemocratic practices. “The APC under the leadership of Oshiomhole is a party of pretenders and hypocrites who think they are demi-gods that all must serve and pay obeisance to, whether they do right or wrong.”
According to him, “Nigerians are now wiser and have fully discovered their gimmicks and games and will no longer be deceived as we approach the 2019 general elections.
“Already, the PDP is the majority in the House and we expect more members from the APC.”The Parliamentary Democrats Group, according to Golu, boasts of over 240 members of the House across political parties. “We are solidly behind Dogara and will ensure that he remains the speaker, even after his defection to any party,” Golu assured with confidence.
