BAUCHI GOV BALA MOHAMMED’S PLANNED DEFECTION TO APC COLLAPSES OVER POWER-SHARING DISPUTE. (PHOTO).

 Bauchi Gov Bala Mohammed’s Planned Defection to APC Collapses Over Power-Sharing Dispute

The planned defection of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed after both parties could not reach an agreement on a power-sharing formula.

Talks between the governor, his Turaki-led PDP faction, and the APC leadership ended in a deadlock following the APC’s rejection of a proposed 60–40 formula for the control of the party structure in the state.

The governor and his supporters have now declared their intention to explore alignment with other political parties, saying fresh options are being considered for a possible defection from the ward to the state level.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, Chairman of the Turaki-led PDP faction in Bauchi State, Sama’ila Burga, said the APC had shown it was not ready to accommodate the PDP structure and the state government.

Burga revealed that the APC initiated the discussions through Governor Mohammed, involving its national leadership and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, who personally visited Bauchi to persuade the governor to join the party.

He explained that the negotiations collapsed because the APC refused to accept the 60–40 sharing formula, which had reportedly been used in similar defections by governors in other states.

“This is how it has been done in other places where governors defected to APC. They rejected this formula and we have closed that discussion. You cannot expect a government bringing its structure from ward level to the state not to have control of the party,” Burga stated.

He added that the press conference was held at the instance of Governor Bala Mohammed, who has been leading the discussions.

After extensive consultations with stakeholders, the PDP faction resolved to discontinue the talks with the APC.

“After careful consideration, it became clear that the conditions collectively advanced for such a political realignment were not accepted by the APC leadership. In light of this, we want to announce that the discussions have not yielded a conclusive outcome and are hereby formally discontinued,” Burga said.

The faction made it clear that while it appreciated the APC’s outreach, the process has now been terminated.

“Consequently, the PDP in Bauchi State, in consultation with His Excellency and other critical stakeholders, is actively considering all available political options other than the APC to determine the most suitable path forward in line with the aspirations and best interests of the people of Bauchi State,” he added.