Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who currently chairs the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, is reportedly considering a move from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as negotiations with the party leadership continue.
Sources familiar with the discussions disclosed that the governor may formally announce his defection within days if ongoing talks with key figures in the APC are successfully concluded.
It was gathered that Mohammed recently met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC leaders to signal his interest in joining the ruling party. However, insiders say negotiations over the terms of the defection are still ongoing.
One of the proposals reportedly offered to the governor is the APC senatorial ticket for Bauchi after he completes his tenure as governor.
Unlike earlier defections by some governors who were allowed to assume control of party structures in their states, sources said Mohammed may not receive similar concessions.
According to the insiders, the APC leadership is reluctant to hand over the full party structure in Bauchi State to the governor. Instead, he may only be guaranteed a Senate ticket while existing party leaders retain control of the state’s political structure.
The development has reportedly unsettled members of the PDP, particularly allies of Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, who were said to be disappointed by the possibility of Mohammed leaving the party.
Party insiders described the potential defection as a major setback for the PDP, especially given Mohammed’s role as chairman of the governors’ forum and his involvement in efforts to stabilise the party amid internal disputes.
Sources also suggested that the governor’s decision may be influenced by the legal troubles of his Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, who is reportedly facing terrorism-related and money laundering allegations involving about ₦4.6 billion.
Another sensitive issue reportedly raised during the negotiations concerns a previous public disagreement involving Mohammed’s son, Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, and Seyi Tinubu, son of the president.
Shamsudeen had criticised Seyi Tinubu in March 2025 after the latter distributed Ramadan palliatives in Bauchi, urging him instead to focus on sustainable economic empowerment initiatives.
Sources indicated that Mohammed has since apologised to Seyi Tinubu as part of efforts to ease tensions while pursuing discussions about joining the APC.
The Bauchi governor is also said to have approached APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda to help negotiate a possible compromise with the presidency regarding control of the party structure in the state.
According to insiders, Mohammed is pushing for a power-sharing arrangement that would allow him some influence over the party’s political structure and succession plans in Bauchi.
If the defection eventually takes place, it could further reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the next election cycle, with the ruling APC potentially increasing its number of state governors.
Currently, aside from Makinde in the PDP, opposition governors include Alex Otti of Abia State under the Labour Party, Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance, and Ademola Adeleke of Osun State under the Accord Party.
Bala Mohammed in Talks to Join APC Amid PDP Turmoil
