Fresh indications have emerged that the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who also serves as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, may be preparing to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
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According to an investigation by THISDAY Newspapers, the Bauchi governor has concluded preliminary plans to join the ruling party this week, although negotiations surrounding the terms of his defection were said to still be ongoing as of late Sunday.
Sources familiar with the discussions disclosed that Mohammed had met with President Bola Tinubu and members of the APC leadership where he reportedly expressed his intention to align with the ruling political family.
Insiders further revealed that part of the incentives being discussed includes the offer of the APC senatorial ticket for Mohammed after his tenure as governor, along with benefits similar to those granted to other governors who have previously defected to the ruling party.
The planned move is also believed to be linked to the legal challenges facing Bauchi State’s Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, who is reportedly facing terrorism-related allegations and a money laundering case involving about ₦4.6 billion. The commissioner was said to have threatened to implicate the governor if he was not released from custody.
Sources said the APC had presented Mohammed with stricter conditions compared to agreements reached with other defecting governors. One of the key issues reportedly under negotiation is the governor’s request to influence the succession plan in Bauchi State in order to preserve his political legacy.
To address this, Mohammed was said to have approached the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, seeking his intervention with the president to consider a proposed 60/40 power-sharing arrangement in the state.
Although it was unclear whether the APC leadership had accepted the proposal, the Bauchi governor was said to have convened a stakeholders’ meeting in the state this week as part of preparations for the possible defection.
The development has reportedly unsettled some members of the PDP, particularly those aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who view Mohammed’s alleged move as a betrayal of ongoing efforts to rebuild and reposition the party.
If Mohammed eventually joins the APC, the ruling party’s number of governors could rise to 32. Currently, Makinde remains the only PDP governor in the Southwest, while Alex Otti governs Abia State under the Labour Party. In addition, Chukwuma Soludo leads Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), while Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke is also noted among opposition governors.
