Indications have emerged that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, may be facing an uncertain political future.
Though, it can be seen from his utterances and body language that his soul has left the ruling All Progressives Congress, unlike some of his other members of the new Peoples Democratic Party , (nPDP) that have openly announced their defection back to the PDP, Dogara is finding it difficult to move out of APC.
His dilemma stems from the fact that, right now, he has lost the control of the party structure in his home state of Bauchi to the governor , Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed.
The Point learnt that unlike the senators who openly announced their defections before the National Assembly break, Dogara is not too sure that he will retain his seat as the Speaker of the House of Representatives if he defects to the PDP.
right now, he has lost the control of the party structure in his home state of Bauchi to the governor , Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed
It was gathered that Dogara, though not willing to reconcile with Governor Mohammed Abubakar, believes that if he stays on in the APC , he will be able to retain his seat as the Speaker but he is uncertain if the party will give him ticket to return to the House in 2019.
The APC members are in a very comfortable lead in the House of Representatives and Dogara’s impeachment may be easily carried out should he leave the party, our source within the National Assembly informed us.
The Point learnt that the sour relationship between Dogara and Governor Abubakar started shortly after the 2015 general elections.
It was gathered that the governor got the hint that Dogara was nursing the ambition to become the state governor come 2019.
Abubakar, who is also desirous of a second term, sees him as a rival. Sources said, at a stage, the other House of Representatives members and the three senators from the states otherwise referred to by the governor’s loyalists as Abuja politicians, were not on the same page with Governor Abubakar.
During the state Congress of the APC in May this year , Dogara and his supporters boycotted the congress which led to the election of Alhaji Uba Ahmed Nana as the chairman unopposed.
All efforts by Dogara to ensure the cancellation of the congress that produced Nana and his executive committee was rebuffed by the National Working Committee of APC.
It was gathered that Dogara has even soft- pedalled on his gubernatorial ambition because he knows he has lost the control of the party structure in the state.
Our source said though he still retains the membership of APC, Dogara is no more actively participating in the activities of the APC in the state.
Dogara has not been seen in all meetings of the APC National Assembly Caucus held in recent times as we gathered that he kept giving one excuse or the other for his absence.
He was also the only APC National Assembly member that attended the press conference addressed by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in the aftermath of siege laid on the National Assembly by the men of Department of State Services, (DSS).
Also in the Bauchi South Senatorial by- election conducted penultimate Saturday, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP won in Dogara’s local government of Tafawa Balewa although APC won the senatorial election.
This loss in Tafawa Balewa, our source said, was due to the fact that Dogara’s political structure has defected to PDP leaving only their principal in APC.
It was gathered that he may however dump APC after successfully ending his tenure as the speaker of the 8th House of Representatives.
When contacted on the development, Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Dogara, Kabiru Hassan, said he will get back to The Point but he had not done so at the time of filing this report.
