Profile
Yakubu Dogara is a Nigerian lawyer, who served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria between 2015 and 2019. He has been representing the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency district, Bauchi State in the Federal House of Representatives since 2007, under the flagship of All Progressives Congress.
Personal Life
He was born on 26th December 1967 in Bauchi State, to Yakubu Ganawiri and Saratu Yakubu. He is a Christian and a member of the Living Faith Church Worldwide. Dogara is married to Gimbiya Yakubu Dogara.
Education
| School | Qualification | Year |
| Cambridge University, United Kingdom | Certificate (Transformational Leadership) | 2016 |
| Harvard Kennedy School, Massachusetts, United States of America | Certificate (Leadership in Crisis) | 2014 |
| Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland | LLM (Master of Laws) in International Commercial Law | 1978-1979 |
| Nigerian Law School, Lagos State | BL (Bachelor of Laws) | 1992-1993 |
| University of Jos, Plateau State | LLB (Hons) | 1988-1992 |
| Bauchi Teachers’ College, Bauchi State | Grade II Teachers’ Certificate | 1982-1987 |
| Gwarangah Primary School, Tafawa Balewa LGA, Bauchi State | First School Leaving Certificate | 1976-1982 |
Mohammed was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, on April 21st, 2007 – under the platform of All Nigeria People’s Party. He held this position until he was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan, as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in April 2010. In 2019, he defeated incumbent Governor Mohammed Abubakar to become the Governor of Bauchi State and was sworn in on May 29th, 2019.
Work History
| Place | Position | Date |
| Ministry of State for Transport | Special Assistant to the Minister | 1994-2006 |
| NCCF, Akwa Ibom State | (National Youth Service Corps Member) | 1993-1994 |
| Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Staff School, | Teacher | 1988 |
Bauchi State
December 26th 1967
Bauchi State
All Progressives Congress
Christianity
Speaker of the House of Representatives (2015-2019)
Federal House of Representative, representing the
Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency (since 2007)
Political History
Dogara began his political career in 2007, when he was elected as a Federal House of Representatives Member, to represent the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa federal constituency of Bauchi State. He has held this position till now. He has served in various capacities by heading committees, sponsoring bills and being the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Eight Assembly (between 2015-2019).
In the Sixth Assembly, Dogara was the Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise and the House Services Committee. In the Seventh Assembly, he was the Chairman of the Committee on House Services and Welfare. Dogara also served as a member in several other committees.
Sponsored Bills
- 2010: Corporate Manslaughter and Data Protection Bill
- 2011: Federal Competition Commission Bill
- 2013: Sponsored a bill for an act to amend Section 143 of the Nigerian Constitution, in order to make the process of the removal of the President and Vice President (on charges of misconduct) less ambiguous.
- 2013: Public Interest Disclosure and Hire Purchase Bill
Upon his inauguration as the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015, Dogara introduced a legislative agenda for the Eight House of Assembly, which served as the guiding document throughout the 4 years of the administration. He also constituted a committee which he charged with the duty of reviewing obsolete laws, with the aim of aligning necessary laws with global best practices. Due to the work of the committee, the House of Representatives set a record in December 2015, when 130 bills passed the first reading in one sitting. As of June 2016, the House had passed 85 bills through the third reading – the highest in the Nigerian National Assembly history.
As the Speaker of the House of Representatives, he sponsored several bills, including
-North-East Development Commission Establishment Bill (2015)
– Subsidiary Legislation Bill (2015)
-Federal Competition Bill (2015)
-Data Protection Bill (2015)
-Public Interest Disclosure Bill (2015)
-Hire Purchase Bill (2015)
Dogara is a strong advocate for the reconstruction, rehabilitation and recovery of the North-East region of Nigeria. He made history as the first-ever Speaker to step down from his seat to sponsor a motion when he raised a motion on the urgent need for rehabilitation, reconstruction, recovery and development of the North-East zone of Nigeria. He is also an active supporter of the Not Too Young To Run campaign, which aims to secure representation for Nigeria’s youth in political offices, by reducing the age of eligibility to run for political positions.
Dogara sponsored the motion on the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria to implement the cashless policy in phases based on the availability of the requisite infrastructure.
Leadership Style/Philosophy
Awards & Honours
- 2018 Distinguished Friend of the Media by the Nigerian Union of Journalists
- 2017 Politician of the Year by City People Magazine
- 2017 Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Award for Advancement of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria by the Nasarawa State University Law Faculty
- 2016 Recognition by the Royal Commonwealth Society of Nigeria for passing 130 bills in a day
- 2016 Political Icon of the Year by the Editorial Board of Sun Newspaper
- 2015 Public Service Award by Zik Leadership Award
- 2015 Politician of the Year by Leadership Newspaper
Project
- Empowerment of petty traders and artisans in Bauchi market
- Sponsorship of an empowerment scheme worth ₦156 million for people from 20 local government areas in Bauchi state
- Construction and reconstruction of major roads worth ₦50 billion in his constituency
- Under his leadership, the House of Representatives passed 85 bills through the third reading, which had previously never been done in the history of the Nigerian National Assembly
Criticism/Controversy
- In January 2022, the Bauchi Government sued Dogara alongside 28 individuals over inciting violence in Bogoro, Bauchi. An 11-count criminal charge was filed against them over the alleged destruction of property during the December 2021 celebration of the leader and crusader of the Sayawa Nation, held in Bogoro LGA, Bauchi State. Dogara and his conspirators allegedly tried to cause bodily harm to people in the local government, so as to frustrate the memorial anniversary. Following this, he was suspended by the Bauchi Emirate council, removing his traditional title as “Jakadan Bauchi”. Dogara blamed Bala Mohammed, the Governor of Bauchi State, for being behind the suspension, and also stated that the suspension was a violation of his constitutional right to a fair hearing.
- In September 2016, some members of the House of Representatives plotted to remove Dogara as the Speaker of the House. This is due to allegations of budget fraud and abuse of office. A Transparency Group was formed by some of the members and they called for the prosecution of Dogara and others involved in the budget padding scandal. Dogara however denied the allegations
