Bauchi Speaker defects to PDP

Bauchi State Speaker, House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress on Saturday, April 16.

He claimed that he and his supporters were “persecuted and sidelined” and that the party has been divided into factions.

The speaker made this announcement while breaking the Ramadan fast (Iftar) which was hosted by Governor Bala Mohammed on Saturday.

Spokesperson of the speaker, Abdul Burra, confirmed that Sulaiman revealed his reason for quitting the party in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the APC, Guda Ward.

The statement read, “It’s a well-known fact that getting a speakership position has been one of the lifetime dreams of my Emirate, Ningi.

“People of my constituency gave me their mandate to represent them and subsequently asked me to pursue their dream of producing Speaker from Ningi.

“I can’t be bigger than my constituency and no interest should be superior to that of my constituents.

“Thus, I pursued the dream of my constituents and as Almighty Allah willed it, we got it against all odds.

“Since my election as Speaker, the party sidelined me from its activities and meted various forms of persecution on me and my supporters.

“Despite these, I remained loyal and committed to the party and continued contributing financially to the Party and attending its functions and meetings even if they didn’t invite me.

“Sometimes I would only get notice of party meetings from my colleagues, but I would still attend.

“It got to the level that I was removed as the Chairman of the stakeholders of the party in Ningi LG and replaced with someone who barely knows the local government and the party.

“Through that, they made sure any Party member loyal to me is edged out from the leadership or mainstream activities of the party.

“We should quit the party and join the PDP to consolidate on the unprecedented development being executed in Ningi Local Government and all parts of the State by the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, His Excellency Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad.”

The speaker has reportedly obtained the PDP membership card from Guda Ward of Ningi Local Government in hopes to successfully work with the party at all levels.