Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, is expected to formally defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, marking another major shift in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Sources familiar with the development said the governor reached the decision after a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu and leaders of the APC in Abuja.
According to insiders, Mohammed’s move to the ruling party comes with several conditions that are reportedly less favourable compared to those granted to some politicians who defected earlier.
One of the key concessions said to have been offered to the Bauchi governor is the opportunity to contest for a seat in the Senate after completing his tenure as governor. However, he is not expected to have the power to nominate his successor as governor of the state.
Sources also disclosed that President Tinubu insisted that the party structure in Bauchi State should remain under the control of the APC leadership rather than any individual, citing the political sensitivity of the state.
Bauchi, located in the North-East, is considered strategically important because of its proximity to several influential political blocs in the region.
Although Mohammed was reportedly pushing for a 60–40 power-sharing arrangement within the party structure, it remains unclear whether the request was fully granted. Discussions were said to have involved the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.
Despite the negotiations, the governor is expected to formally join the APC during a ceremony that will reportedly be attended by key party leaders from across the country.
If the defection goes through, the number of APC governors across Nigeria could rise to 32, leaving opposition parties such as the PDP, Labour Party Nigeria, All Progressives Grand Alliance, and the Accord Party Nigeria with just one governor each.
Meanwhile, the PDP continues to grapple with internal divisions as rival factions within the party attempt to resolve lingering disputes.
Ahead of a planned reconciliation meeting, the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has outlined two conditions it described as non-negotiable.
The group insisted that the party’s national convention scheduled for March 29 must go ahead as planned. It also rejected any proposal to establish another caretaker committee, arguing that one already exists.
Speaking on behalf of the faction, spokesman Haruna Mohammed said the group remained open to reconciliation but would not compromise on the conditions.
“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,” he said.
Similarly, Senator Samuel Anyanwu confirmed that discussions were ongoing between the rival camps, although no agreement had yet been reached.
“We have been meeting, but there is no truce yet,” he said.
Despite the internal challenges, some party leaders have insisted that the PDP remains a formidable opposition force.
A chieftain of the party, Adetokunbo Pearse, said the current crisis should not be seen as the end of the PDP.
“People still see the PDP as the main opposition party. The loss of some governors and lawmakers does not mean the party is finished,” he said.
In a similar appeal, former governor Sule Lamido urged party leaders to put aside their differences and work together to rebuild the party.
Speaking during a Ramadan Iftar with PDP stakeholders in Jigawa State, Lamido said unity and reconciliation were essential for the party’s survival.
He also described Wike as a strategic politician who moved quickly to fill a leadership vacuum when the tenure of the party’s National Working Committee expired.
“Some people may disagree with him politically, but we must still engage one another in the spirit of unity. The task before us now is reconciliation and rebuilding the party,” Lamido said.
