Gov Bala Mohammed sets to join APC Tuesday

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State is reportedly preparing to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in what observers describe as part of the ongoing political realignments ahead of future elections in Nigeria.

According to sources familiar with the development, the governor may officially announce his defection on Tuesday. The planned move reportedly follows a series of consultations and high-level meetings with Bola Tinubu and other influential leaders of the APC in recent weeks.

The move is said to have been largely concluded after negotiations in which the APC reportedly agreed to a 60/40 power-sharing arrangement in the state and a potential senatorial ticket for Mohammed.

However, one major issue yet to be fully resolved is the governor’s request to nominate his successor when his tenure ends.

According to insiders familiar with the talks, President Tinubu has insisted that the APC structure in Bauchi State should remain under the control of the party leadership rather than any single political figure due to the state’s strategic political importance.

Several prominent figures from Bauchi are also believed to be interested in the governorship position, including the Minister of Health, Ali Pate; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; and oil and gas professional Bala Wunti.

Despite reportedly securing the power-sharing formula, Mohammed is said to be insisting that he should be granted the privilege of choosing his successor, a concession he argues has been extended to other political figures in similar circumstances.

Although discussions on that issue are still ongoing, arrangements have reportedly been finalised for Mohammed to officially join the APC at a ceremony expected to be attended by key party stakeholders.

If the defection is confirmed, the number of governors aligned with the ruling party would rise to 32, leaving the PDP, Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party with one governor each.

Meanwhile, efforts to reconcile factions within the PDP are continuing ahead of planned talks between the group led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, and loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The Wike-aligned faction has outlined two conditions it considers non-negotiable for the reconciliation process.

Speaking on behalf of the National Caretaker Committee loyal to Wike, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Haruna Mohammed, said the party’s national convention scheduled for March 29 must hold as planned.

He also insisted that the establishment of another caretaker committee under any name should not be considered, noting that a leadership structure was already in place.

“We are open to reconciliation, but we have conditions that are non-negotiable. Each group must come to the negotiation table with its own terms and conditions,” he said.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu also confirmed that discussions aimed at resolving the party’s internal crisis were ongoing, though he stressed that no formal agreement had yet been reached.

“We have been meeting, but there is no truce yet,” he said.

Despite the ongoing leadership dispute and recent defections, a chieftain of the party, Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, maintained that the PDP remained a formidable opposition platform.