The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees Chairman, Walid Jibrin, has said the reason Yakubu Dogara, left the PDP to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because of his 2023 political ambition.

Dogara, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives had dumped the PDP last week and has since rejoined the All Progressives Congress, citing bad governance as the reason for his exit.

Reacting to the news in a statement in Abuja on Monday, the PDP BoT chairman said he received the news of the exit of the former Speaker with mixed feelings noting that Dogara failed to explore the conflict resolution mechanisms available within the PDP before deciding to leave.

Jibrin said, “I am sorry for Dogara for not adhering to all avenues available in the party constitution for settlement of disputes or complaints by a member of the party.

“Considering the serious reasons given by Dogara for decamping, one is compelled to say that Mr Dogara has other strong reasons for leaving the PDP.

“I’m beginning to suspect that the former speaker has an underground motive for joining the APC. I begin to suspect that Mr Dogara has a plan of becoming President or Vice President in 2023 which he knows he will never achieve in the PDP.

“I want to assure the former speaker that PDP shall continue to be very strong and united and its doors remain open to all Nigerians. Therefore, the PDP will never accept any plan from anybody to destroy the party.”

He also said there are plans by the party to visit Edo State to strengthen the Governor Godwin Obaseki campaign train ahead of the September 19 governorship election in the state.