Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara has given reasons why he left People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a letter of resignation addressed to the Bogoro ‘C’ Ward Chairman of the PDP dated July 24, 2020, and shared with Vanguardon Sunday, Dogara accused the governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed of abandoning the campaign promises he made to the people of Bauchi state.
Among questions raised were Bauchi State governor’s inability to conduct local government election within six months as promised during the campaign in 2019, alleged mismanagement of funds by the governor and inflation of contracts.
He argued that if he abdicates his responsibility of telling truth to power in Bauchi State, having done same under the administrations of former Governors Isa Yuguda and Muhammed Abubakar, he would be the most irresponsible and unprincipled politician in Bauchi State.
See the letter below:
24/07/2020
The Chairman
People’s Democratic Party,
Bogoro ‘C’ Ward,
Bogoro LGA,
Bauchi State.
LETTER OF RESIGNATION OF MY MEMBERSHIP OF THE PDP
Above subject matter refers.
I write to intimate you of my decision to resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This became necessary because the same reasons why we fought hard in 2019 to effect changes in the Governance of our dear state are festering now.
I intend to bring these issues to the front burners once again as the fight to install a decent and egalitarian government in our dear state continues.
Specifically, I intend to ask questions about the following:
- What has happened to LGA allocations since May 2019?
- What happened to our campaign promise to conduct LGA elections within six months of the PDP government?
- What happened to the N4.6 billion loan taken from a bank and paid directly into a private company’s account?
- Why are we segmenting salaries and why is the payment of salaries of state workers outsourced to a private firm as consultants?
- Why are contracts inflated, awarded and payment of mobilisation done in violation of extant rules on procurement?
- Why are our highly revered Traditional Rulers and Elders treated with odium contrary to the guarantee we gave during the campaign that such will not happen under a PDP government?
Mr Chairman, you will agree with me that I cannot raise these issues and many more questions without a charge of disloyalty levelled against me if I were to remain a member of the PDP.
I cannot also fail to raise these questions now, having raised similar ones during the administrations of Governors Isa Yuguda and Mohammed A. Abubakar. If I abdicate this responsibility on the altar of partisan loyalty, I will be the most irresponsible and unprincipled politician in Bauchi State.
Thus, by this letter, I have resigned my membership of the PDP to enable me to keep faith with my principle of fighting for good governance in our Dear State.
Thank you for your kind considerations.
Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara