Babachir Lawal, Dogara Part Ways As Dogara’s Group Endorses Atiku, Lawal’s, Obi; Tinubu Loses; Expulsion On The Cards

By Adesina Soyooye

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, have parted ways, politically.

Both men who had been working together since Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of their party, the All Progressives Congress,  APC, a Muslim, chose Senator Kashim Shettima, former Governor of Borno State, also a Muslim, finally parted ways on Friday.

Both have chosen to endorse and support different Presidential candidates. Even though they are of the APC, both Christians said they would never support a Tinubu-Shettima ticket. They dismissed it as satanic, an insult to Northern Christians,   and a ploy to divide the North.

Working together with members of their group, they said they would decide and announce which Presidential candidate to support.

A few days ago, Lawal, who is the Chairman of Northern Christians Caucus in Politics, which Secretary Dogara is, announced in an interview on Channels Television, that the Group had decided to endorse the candidacy of Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Surprisingly, hours after Lawal spoke, Dogara and some members of the Executive disowned him.

They said he acted alone, without consultation. In the statement they signed, they said they would meet soon and endorse a candidate.

On Friday, December 2, 2022, Dogara and his Group did. Not surprisingly, they endorsed Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, whose running mate is the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. They had no choice. Having disowned and chastised Lawal for endorsing Obi, Atiku’s endorsement by them was expected.

Both Lawal’and Dogara’s Groups are splinter Groups of the APC.

Dogara’s Group, the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum which membership cuts across Christians and Moslems, adopted Atiku, in a voice vote, after the report of its technical committee was presented to members in Abuja. Honourable Mohammed Kumaila, and Nunghe Kele, SAN, Leaders of the  Technical Criteria Committee, signed the report which was presented by former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba.

It read in part; “After a careful evaluation of all the issues highlighted above, we hereby recommend for the adoption of the PDP, to all lovers of democracy in Nigeria, for the 2023 presidential election.

“However, this should be subject to getting the necessary assurance from the party to run an all-inclusive government, details of which shall be discussed with the leadership of the party in the nearest future”

On 8th  October, 2022, the Northern Leaders Inter-Faith Consultative Dialogue  in Abuja, set up a sub-committee mandated to draw up a criteria to serve as a guide to the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum, in its desire to adopt one of the leading political parties in the 2023 presidential elections.

“After careful consultations, research and brain-storming, the subcommittee came up with the following analysis of the criteria used to arrive at and recommended a Pan-Nigeria platform for the main Committee’s consideration, endorsement and adoption.

“Amongst the criteria used in selecting their choice of endorsement include factors such as presidential experience; requisite track record in public service, business and education; evidence of national penetration; religious and ethnic balance.

“Other criteria include: pan-Nigeria and tolerance, reasonable popularity, physical fitness for the rigours of State as well as the existing structures of the selected political parties and current candidates for 2023 according to INEC records.”

The report said Atiku came tops from a 15-point criteria it used to assess the four frontline political parties; APC, PDP, LP and NNPP.

According to the report, he  scored all 15 points criteria. He was followed by the candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso with 10 points. APC’s Senator Bola Tinubu and LP’s Peter Obi, scored nine points each.

Dogara, who presided over the adoption said “the group decided to go for a pan Nigeria presidential candidate, following the adoption of a Moslem-Moslem ticket by the APC against massive protest.”

According to Dogara, “what will destroy Nigeria is not ethnicity but religion.” He emphasized that those “passing statement relating to hate must be stopped before they destroy the country. The same faith ticket does not align with the vision of a united Nigeria because it does not promote a collective sense of belongingness.”

The members were enjoined  to go ahead, fully, and campaign for the Atiku/Okowa presidential ticket.

However, sources within the APC, told this medium that they will not allow Lawal and Dogara to say they are card-carrying members of the Party and work against the Party.

Said one if them who pleaded anonymity: “We are not PDP which allowed Nyesom Wike and his to stay in PDP, and work against PDP. We shall flush Dogara and Lawal out of APC.”

Another noted that the division within the Lawal and Dogara Groups would enhance the chances of the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu.