Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has signaled he may exit the Peoples Democratic Party, describing the party as “headless” and confirming ongoing talks with the African Democratic Congress, while speculation mounts over his political future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Wednesday after a closed-door meeting with an African Democratic Congress delegation led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal at the Government House in Bauchi, the governor said consultations had extended beyond the PDP.
“I have pursued all avenues for reconciliation within PDP, but it has not worked,” the governor said. “We cannot remain where we are not wanted. ADC appears to be where our political destiny is taking us.”
He disclosed that committees have been constituted at both national and state levels to evaluate options, including engagement with the All Progressives Congress, but stressed that his priority is a platform capable of uniting the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development followed an ongoing crisis within the PDP, marked by factional disputes and defections to rival parties. Mohammed also criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alleging that he has taken control of the PDP structure.
The uncertainty over the governor’s next move has left supporters and grassroots mobilisers unsure, following prolonged consultations and shifting political signals. The confusion began after the governor’s remarks on March 31, 2026, during a meeting with the ADC delegation.
At the meeting, Mohammed acknowledged internal crises within the Peoples Democratic Party and the failure of reconciliation efforts. He said, “We have found ourselves in a very serious situation. I have done everything possible to ensure reconciliation, but it has not worked,” adding that consultations had extended beyond the PDP.
Shortly after the ADC meeting, the governor reportedly held talks with key figures in the All Progressives Congress, including its National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf. The meetings further intensified speculation over his possible defection.
However, the narrative shifted again on April 18, when an exit committee reportedly disclosed that plans to join the APC had been shelved due to disagreements over a proposed 60/40 power-sharing formula.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Caretaker Committee of the PDP has declared that Governor Bala Mohammed is no longer a member of the party, describing his recent claim of membership as misleading. In a statement signed by the caretaker chairman Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the committee cited the 103rd and 104th resolutions of the party’s National Executive Committee, which it said formally expelled Mohammed alongside Seyi Makinde, Dauda Lawal and others over actions considered inconsistent with the party’s constitution.
According to the statement, the party’s position on the governor’s status “remains clear and unchanged,” stressing that public declarations or media appearances cannot override the established decision of the party. The committee further urged the governor to pursue reconciliation with stakeholders he had disagreements with, particularly the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, if he genuinely wished to remain within the party.
The Bauchi APC caucus has also unanimously rejected the idea of welcoming Governor Mohammed into their ranks. This decision, communicated by Senator Sama’ila Dahuwa, highlights a deep-seated concern within the party. The caucus believes that Mohammed’s public criticism of President Bola Tinubu and the APC, coupled with his perceived undermining of party unity, makes his admission detrimental to the party’s cohesion and electoral prospects.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike on Thursday mocked Governor Bala Mohammed, claiming the governor lacks the political structure and party cohesion necessary to produce a successor. “Bala Mohammed came to my state and wanted to impose party leadership. I warned him to be careful and to leave my state alone,” Wike said. “I told him there would be consequences, and today, he does not even have a party to produce his successor.”
Despite the mounting pressure, the governor’s office has denied any defection. In a statement signed by Mukhtar Gidado, his special adviser on media and publicity, Mohammed dismissed reports suggesting he is planning to defect from the PDP, insisting the party remains his political home.
“The statement attributed to the PRP state secretary is false and a figment of the author’s imagination. At no time has Governor Bala Mohammed contemplated leaving the PDP, let alone initiating any move to defect to another party or making overtures to the PRP,” the statement added.
It noted that the governor has been at the forefront of efforts to stabilise the PDP and resist attempts by “anti-democratic forces” to weaken the party. According to the statement, Mohammed’s track record of leadership is widely acknowledged within and outside Bauchi State, citing his electoral victories over the PRP in two consecutive elections as evidence of his standing.
Earlier in October 2025, Mohammed said he was not leaving the PDP. “I assure you I am not going anywhere. I am in PDP, and my state has no element of division,” he said after the inaugural meeting of the publicity and communications sub-committee for the party’s forthcoming national convention.
He added, “As a leader of a group of equals, I cannot dictate the choices of my colleagues. But a lot of discussions are ongoing behind the scenes. The wave of defections could have been worse, but we are managing it.”
The governor has also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of trying to make the country a one-party state through intimidation of the opposition. “We cannot take indiscipline to a level where it becomes contagious. If you are in PDP, you are in PDP. You cannot be in PDP and be in coalition with another party. We cannot do this,” he said during a consultative conference of PDP founding fathers and stakeholders in Abuja.
Mohammed said the APC-led federal government thinks they can use the courts, the institutions of government like the EFCC, to persecute and prosecute Nigerians that are not within their own party. “If they don’t stop, we are going to declare war,” he said. “I assure you, we are not going to keep quiet anymore. I won’t allow anybody to criminalise me because I’m not in the APC, and I refuse to join the APC. And I will not join the APC.”
