Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed finally dumps PDP, secures additional coalition party

 

BAUCHI, Nigeria — Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), citing unresolved internal divisions within the PDP.

The announcement followed eight days of consultations in Abuja with political stakeholders in what Mohammed described as a final attempt to resolve the party’s crisis. 

He said the Supreme Court’s recent verdict nullifying parallel PDP conventions was the decisive factor. The ruling, he stated, left both factions without legal standing and placed the party under the supervision of its Board of Trustees, creating what he called “deep uncertainty.”

“After careful consideration and wide consultations with leaders and stakeholders across the country, it has become clear that our efforts to restore stability have not yielded the desired results,” Mohammed said.

While thanking the PDP for its role in his political career, he said the decision was driven by “necessity” and the need to offer Bauchi residents a stable platform free from legal disputes.

APM National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle received the governor and his supporters into the party, describing the APM as a “clean, democratic party” guided by the motto “Nigeria First.” During the ceremony, Dantalle presented Mohammed with his membership card and the party’s cassava plant insignia, which he said symbolizes resilience, inclusiveness and economic value.

To formalize the transition, Mohammed said a compliance committee would be set up, online membership registration would begin, interested members of the State Executive Council would resign in line with electoral law, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be engaged.

He urged supporters to remain calm and united, framing the defection as a “strategic repositioning” to ensure political continuity and governance in Bauchi State.