The Peoples Democratic Party’s relevance may be coming to an end as the Chairman of its Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has reportedly concluded plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress this week, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
According to a THISDAY report via Arise Television, the terms of the defection were still being negotiated as of Saturday night, with multiple sources privy to the talks disclosing that Mohammed had already met with President Bola Tinubu and APC leadership to signal his intention to join the ruling party.
Mohammed is said to have been offered the APC senatorial ticket and would receive the same allowances extended to other governors who previously defected to the party.
However, unlike the concessions made to earlier defectors, sources say Tinubu drew a firm line on handing Mohammed full control of the APC structure in Bauchi State.
“Unlike the privileges extended to the early defectors, Bala Mohammed can’t get the full APC structure in Bauchi. They told him the best he could get is his ticket to the Senate since he is nursing the ambition, but he can’t nominate his successor. He was told in clear terms. He is stuck, from all indications,” one source told the newspaper.
It is further reported that Mohammed’s defection may not be entirely voluntary, linking it to the legal troubles of his Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, who is facing terrorism charges and a money laundering case involving approximately N4.6 billion. The commissioner was said to have threatened to implicate the governor if he was not released from custody.
Adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations, the newspaper reported that Mohammed was allegedly required to apologise to the president’s son, Seyi Tinubu, over a public altercation involving his own son last year.
Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed had criticised Seyi Tinubu for distributing food items in Bauchi State during Ramadan in 2025, calling on him to pursue more sustainable empowerment initiatives instead. In a sign of his seriousness about completing the defection, Mohammed has reportedly tendered the apology, though he is said to remain uncomfortable with other conditions attached to the deal.
Chief among his reservations is succession. Sources disclosed that Mohammed wants a say in who succeeds him as governor, citing concerns about his political legacy. To this end, he reportedly approached APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda to lobby the president for a 60/40 structure-sharing arrangement in Bauchi State.
In anticipation of a favourable outcome, Mohammed is said to have already convened a stakeholders’ meeting in the state this week.
Should Mohammed complete his defection, the APC’s gubernatorial strength would rise to 32, leaving the PDP with only Governor Makinde of Oyo State, while the Labour Party, APGA, and Accord Party hold Abia, Anambra, and Osun states, respectively.
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