Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has said he will announce his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) within one week.
Mohammed said he had begun consultations with other political parties following the lingering crisis in the PDP and the nullification of the party’s Ibadan convention.
The governor disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa, days after the Supreme Court voided the PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Mohammed said his camp had accepted the Supreme Court judgment in good faith, describing it as the will of God.
He said, “As democrats and committed PDP members who respect the rule of law, we accept the judgment as the will of Allah. It is neither a total defeat for us nor a complete victory for the other side.
“The efforts we made to defend the rights of our supporters and uphold democracy are clear. While our Ibadan convention was nullified, their leadership was also set aside.
“In line with the party’s constitution, the Board of Trustees will take charge of affairs pending the emergence of an interim leadership, since the court has invalidated the current structure.”
The governor had earlier received a delegation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, at the Bauchi Government House.
The delegation reportedly visited at the instance of the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, to persuade Mohammed to join the party.
Mohammed was said to have described the ADC as a preferred platform if he eventually leaves the PDP.
He later met with President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, also led a delegation to Bauchi to woo the governor, but talks reportedly collapsed over disagreements on the sharing formula for control of the party structure.
Mohammed Accuses Wike
Mohammed accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of fuelling the crisis in the PDP and weakening the party from within.
He said, “We find ourselves in a difficult situation. Nyesom Wike and many of his associates are with the APC. His presence in the PDP was aimed at frustrating the party, and to some extent, that has happened. At the same time, we ensured he did not take full control.
“Given the limited time, we have begun consultations with other political parties where our people can secure tickets and contest. We do not have the time to form an interim leadership and obtain INEC approval within a few days.
“The focus now is to identify a stable platform for our candidates to participate in the coming elections.”
The governor alleged that there was a plot to produce a sole presidential candidate in the country.
He said, “It was a deliberate attempt for them to emerge as sole candidates and go into the election unchallenged. Even though our loyalty remains with the PDP, we have no option but to look elsewhere.
“With only a few days left, we are working to conclude discussions on where to move. The PDP leadership, including Tanimu Turaki, will remain to pursue the matter, while we give our supporters the opportunity to contest on other platforms. Within a week, we will make our position known in Bauchi.”
Mohammed appealed to his supporters to remain calm, assuring aspirants that they would be given the opportunity to contest in the forthcoming elections.
Governor Rules Out Presidential Bid
On his political ambition, Mohammed said he would not contest the presidency, noting that the PDP had zoned the position to the South.
He said he would instead run for the Bauchi South senatorial seat.
“I am not contesting for the presidency. At the party level, we agreed to zone it to the South out of fairness.
“However, based on calls from my people, I will contest the Bauchi South senatorial seat to continue representing them and support our candidates,” he said.
On possible alliances, the governor said consultations were ongoing with other opposition figures, including former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi.
“We are in talks with Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi. There are calls for the opposition to unite under one platform, but that is not easy. Political realities differ across states and regions, as do the needs of the people,” he added.
