The planned defection of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed due to disagreements over a proposed power-sharing formula.
The governor, his Turaki-led PDP group, and the APC leadership were unable to reach an agreement after the ruling party reportedly rejected a 60-40 formula for controlling the party structure in Bauchi State.
The governor and his supporters, on the other hand, have stated that they are willing to work with other political parties and that plans are being developed to explore new options for prospective ward-to-state defections.
Addressing media on Saturday, Sama’ila Burga, Chairman of the Turaki-led PDP group in the state, stated that the APC had demonstrated its unwillingness to accept the PDP structure and the state administration.
Burga revealed that the APC launched talks through the governor, involving its national leadership and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, who traveled to Bauchi to encourage Mohammed to join the party.
He said the discussions stagnated after the APC refused to agree to the 60-40 sharing formula, which he highlighted had been used 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 the ward level to the state not to have control of the party,” Burga said.
Burga added, “We have called for this press conference at the instance of His Excellency, the Governor, who is leading the discussions.”
Burga also stated that after extensive consultations with stakeholders, the PDP faction resolved to discontinue the talks.
“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,” he said.
He mentioned that the party is now exploring alternative political platforms.
“While we appreciate the outreach and engagement by the APC, we wish to state unequivocally that the process has now been brought to a close. 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.
