The Consequence Of Dogara’s Endorsement Of Atiku Among NE Christians
It is no longer secret that the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has thrown his weight behind the candidate of the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar ahead of the ruling All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others. The consequences of Dogara’s endorsement is very significant – which I shall explain.
Yakubu Dogara has over the years established himself as the most influential political figure in Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa local government areas of Bauchi State – incidentally, these are areas he has been representing for almost sixteen years in the National Assembly. Dogara is literally an institution in these areas.
In 2015, as chieftain of APC, Dogara contributed to the embarrassing defeat Goodluck Jonathan suffered in Bauchi State to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2019 when Dogara worked for Atiku Abubakar of PDP, the Party’s fortune in Bauchi greatly improved to 209,313 votes against the 85,000 votes in 2015. He was equally instrumental to the victory of Senator Bala Mohammed in the 2019 gubernatorial election against Barrister Muhammed Abubakar of APC, who was incumbent as at then.
In 2023, Atiku will go into the election in Bauchi State with the full support of PDP in the State led by the performing Governor Bala Mohammed, former governor Alhaji Adamu Muazu and with the formidable support of Yakubu Dogara. This puts Atiku in pole advantage to switch Bauchi to PDP for the first time since 1999 in a presidential election.
Furthermore, Dogara’s endorsement of Atiku will influence the voters of northern Christians across Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa axis where Dogara is held in high esteem as a frontline Christian political leader from the north – this put Atiku in advantage to sweep these states of the northeast.
