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Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja
Fresh facts emerged, yesterday, of how a failed agreement between Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed, Yakubu Dogara and other stakeholders in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the run-up to the governorship election in 2019 led to the former speaker of the House of Representatives’ defection from the party, last week.
Already, a national officer of the PDP in the state, two former senators who worked with Mohammed for the 2019 governorship election are on their way back to the All Progressives Congress (APC), it was also learnt.
Prior to the 2019 governorship election, Daily Sun gathered that Mohammed, Dogara and other stakeholders agreed that upon his electoral victory, the former speaker would be allowed total control of his constituency: Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency, which also comprise three local governments. The agreement also included ceding total control of the constituency to Dogara “where it relates to nominations and appointments.”
Also, Mohammed reportedly agreed that aside Dogara, those who contributed to his victory would be “given slots in his government.”
More than that, Dogara, it was gathered, would “be consulted by the governor on any matter that relates to his constituency.”
A source privy to the agreement told Daily Sun that barely had the Mohammed government settled down than the governor totally shut out all the stakeholders who worked for his elections.
The Dogara/Mohammed rift got to a head in January and climaxed in March when the local government congresses of the party were conducted. Stakeholders who risked their political careers for the governor were not allowed to even field an ex-officio candidate.
It was learnt that with Mohammed’s victory in 2019, the APC, now in the opposition, was in disarray with no clear leadership.
Subsequently, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, was asked to take over the mantle of leadership and rally party faithful in the state.
He declined and pointedly told them. “I’m not a politician.”
With feelers that all was not well with the gladiators who teamed up to defeat APC, overtures were made to Dogara to return to the party and reposition it.
Dogara refused. Rather, he reported the state of affairs in Bauchi to the PDP national leadership and urged them to intervene.
“For six months, Dogara reported the governor to the PDP leadership and urged them to intervene.They did nothing. Later, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, intervened but our governor told him, ‘Are you governing Rivers and you want to rule Bauchi also?’”
Wike reportedly backed out of the peace parley.It was also gathered that a governor in the North West, who defected to the PDP, also intervened but his efforts were equally rebuffed.
Soon, the APC pressure was difficult to resist. The party “tracked him, wooed him and pleaded with him to return to his former home.”
On Dogara’s return to the ruling APC, another source said it was six months in the making. The climax of that return was last week’s meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock, he said.
Regardless, the governor has dismissed alleged agreement with Dogara and some PDP stakeholders.
The governor, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Media, Muktar Gidado, denied any agreement with Dogara or party stakeholders.
Besides, the governor described Dogara’s defection as shocking.
The media aide, however, acknowledged that Dogara, indeed, supported the ambition of the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who would later defeat the then sitting governor, Mohammed Abubakar, who contested on the platform of the APC.
“There is no denying the fact that Dogara is among politicians that supported our amiable governor whose popularity across the state and beyond is never in doubt.
