Hundreds of Peoples Democratic Party members in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, where a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, hails from, have defected to the All Progressives Congress.
The development took place about two weeks after the former Speaker defected from the PDP to the APC.
The APC Chairman in Bogoro Local Government Area, Haruna Rikaya, who welcomed the defectors on Saturday, said they would be treated equally as APC members.
He said what was important was the unity of purpose to enable the APC to regain power in future elections in the state, starting with the local government election in October this year.
The leader of the defectors, Bulus Iliya, said their decision to return to the APC was informed by the need to be reunited with their political godfather, Dogara.
“In Nigerian politics, loyalty pays. Therefore, as a political student of Yakubu Dogara, I will remain loyal to him,” he said.
Iliya called on the state Governor, Bala Mohammed, to be just and fair in the conduct of the forthcoming local government election.
“Just as he got fair and just treatment in 2019 when he won the governorship election, he should ensure that whoever wins in the election should be declared winner no matter which political party they are from,” he said.
