Nigeria News: Speaker House Of Representative Yakubu Dogara, Returns to PDP Picks Form to Contest| Jeremy Spell Blog

Speaker of House of Representatives
Yakubu Dogara has picked the nomination
form of the Peoples Democratic Party, to
seek re-election from his Bogoro/Dass/
Tafawa Balewa constituency.
The move came less than 24 hours after
some tens of his supporters visited him
Tuesday in Abuja and urged him to
recontest.
Dogara, a lawyer was first elected into the
house in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011
as a member of the PDP. He won a third
term in 2015 as a member of the ruling All
Progressives Congress.
His movement to PDP has for long been an
open secret following the movement of his
ally, Senator Bukola Saraki. Then in the last
Senate bye-election, the APC lost Dogara’s
Bogoro constituency.
Dogara, addressing supporters of his
constituents who thronged his Abuja home
on Tuesday, said he was already
contemplating stepping aside, having
represented the constituency for almost 12
years now.
He, however, said he was overwhelmed by
the show of support and solidarity by his
people who travelled from Bogoro, Dass
and Tafawa Balewa local government areas
in Bauchi State to Abuja to impress on him
to run again.
“Some people said they will retire us from
politics, but we want to inform them that
only God and the electorate can retire us.
“Because you came, because of your
sacrifice, I want to announce to you that I
will run to once again represent our
constituency. I will soon come to meet you
at home to make this formal.
We want Dogara: posters bearing Dogara
supporters
“I am shocked and surprised because I
never thought or imagined that when I
woke up today I will see this mamoth
crowd in my house.
“I am seeing faces of people we started this
journey with since 2007. I pray God to
reward you for this sacrifice. I was almost
tired having been doing the same thing for
almost 12 years now.”
According to him, “In recent days I started
hearing some rumours and some people
were already celebrating that I won’t run
again.
“Nobody can impose leadership on you.
Only you our people can choose who will
represent you.
“I want to assure you that whatever you
want us to do that is what we will do.
Those who have said that they will retire us
from politics I want tell them that we have
just begun.
“We will continue to attract development to
our area; build roads, hospitals, schools,
and create opportunities for our people to
thrive,” he said.