Bala Mohammed, the Bauchi State Governor and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, has indicated that the African Democratic Congress is his preferred platform as he considers defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party.
The governor disclosed this on Tuesday while hosting a delegation of the ADC, led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, at the Government House in Bauchi.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting, Mohammed attributed his possible defection to persistent crises within the PDP, saying reconciliation efforts had failed.
“We have found ourselves in a very serious situation. I have done everything possible to ensure reconciliation, but it has not worked. We set up committees at both the national and state levels to explore all options, including even the All Progressives Congress, but sadly, we discovered that we are not wanted there,” he said.
The governor noted that while discussions with several political platforms were ongoing, the ADC had emerged as the most welcoming and acceptable option so far.
“As of now, ADC appears to be a very welcoming and acceptable platform. However, we have not concluded discussions. We are engaging stakeholders to ensure we do not make mistakes,” he added.
Mohammed revealed that a final decision would be made soon, with a formal declaration of his defection expected by Thursday.
“We are very conscious of the timeline. Everything will be concluded by Thursday so that we can move forward together. You will hear a firm commitment from us,” he said.
The governor also alleged that internal divisions within the PDP were being aggravated by external influences, accusing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of contributing to the crisis. He said he had consulted key stakeholders, including leaders of the All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu, in attempts to resolve the impasse, but the situation remained unresolved.
Earlier, Lawal said the ADC delegation visited Bauchi at the behest of the party’s national leadership, under former Senate President David Mark, to invite Mohammed to join the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He described the move as part of a broader strategy to unite opposition forces and provide alternative leadership for Nigeria.
“The task of rescuing Nigeria in 2027 requires the unity of all well-meaning Nigerians. We are here to engage Governor Bala Mohammed because of his leadership qualities and political experience,” Lawal said.
He expressed optimism that the consultations would yield positive results, noting that the ADC’s growing momentum across states would strengthen its prospects in the next general elections.
