Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibril has said that presidential ambition was responsible for the defection of the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Jibril said this in a statement in Monday arguing that Dogara knew he could not achieve that in the PDP as he dismissed the reasons Dogara advanced for leaving the party.
Dogara had alleged that the Governor of the state, Senator, Bala Mohammed had contracted payment of salaries among other malfeasance.
The BOT said: “I have read with mixed feelings the reason given by former speaker House of Representatives Mr Yakubu Dogara for decamping to APC.
“I am equally sorry for Dogara for not adhering to all avenues available in the party constitution for settlement of disputes or complaints by a member of the party.
“I became more disturbed when the reasons given by Mr Dogara for his decamping considering his position as a former speaker.
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“In his position as a member of BoT Mr Dogara has never laid any complaints to me as the Chairman of BoT which is the highest advisory organ of the party and remained concious of the party.
“Considering seriously reasons given by Dogara for his decamping one is compelled to say that Mr Dogara has other strong reasons for leaving PDP.
“I am beginning to suspect that the former speaker has underground motives for joining APC.
“I begin to suspect that Mr Dogara has a plan of becoming president or Vice President in 2023 which he knows he will never achieve in PDP,” Jibril states
Senator Jibril also called on party members to remain calm and steadfast with the party assuring them that the BoT will continue to hold the party together.
He further said the BoT of the party is strongly behind the candidature of Governor Obaseki as PDP flag bearer for Edo state
“I want to assure the former speaker that PDP shall continue to be very strong and united and its doors remain open to all Nigerians, therefore, PDP will never accept any plan from anybody to destroy the party.
“As Chairman of BoT, I urge all members of the party to remain calm and strong as the BoT will continue to play its role as the conscience of the party as contained in its constitution.
Similarly, BoT is in total support of Godwin Obaseki in becoming the new Governor of Edo state. “
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