Discussions over the planned defection of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have collapsed due to disagreements over a power-sharing formula and payment for federal projects executed by the Bauchi State Government.
The PDP State Chairman, Alhaji Sama’ila Burga, announced the development on Thursday while addressing journalists in Bauchi. He said the APC “was not ready to accommodate the PDP structure and the state government.”
Burga, who leads the PDP under Tanimu Turaki, explained: “After extensive consultations with PDP stakeholders and 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.”
“We appreciate the outreach and engagement by the APC, but we wish to state unequivocally that the process has now been brought to a close,” he added. “Consequently, the PDP in Bauchi State, in consultation with His Excellency and other critical stakeholders, is actively considering all available political options and political parties other than the APC, in order to determine the most suitable path forward in line with the aspirations and best interests of the people of Bauchi State.”
The governor and his supporters remain open to aligning with other political parties, with plans underway to consider fresh options for possible defection from the ward to the state level.
According to Burga, the APC initiated the talks through the governor, involving its national leadership and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, who visited Bauchi to persuade Governor Mohammed to join the party.
He said the discussions stalled after the APC rejected a proposed 60–40 sharing formula, which he noted had been adopted in similar defections 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 said.
He clarified that the decision to discontinue talks was reached following recent engagements between the governor and APC leaders over an invitation for the governor, PDP members, and elected officials in Bauchi State — including members of the National Assembly, the State House of Assembly, and Local Government Councils — to join the APC.
Burga stressed that the initiative for the discussions came from the APC. “His Excellency graciously responded out of respect for the eminent personalities involved and in keeping with his commitment to dialogue and inclusiveness. The governor, the PDP, and the people of Bauchi State participated in the engagements in good faith,” he said.
He assured that the PDP in Bauchi remains committed to “responsible leadership, inclusive governance, and the continued progress of our dear state.”
