PDP Governors’ Forum Chair Bala Mohammed Defects to APM

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), in a move that underscores deepening cracks within the opposition party.

Mohammed, who until his exit served as chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, made the declaration on Saturday at the Government House in Bauchi. He was flanked by the APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, shortly after a closed-door meeting with key stakeholders.

The governor said members of the PDP aligned with the Tanimu Turaki-led faction had also joined him in the switch, signalling a coordinated breakaway from the party’s structure.

The development leaves Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as the only sitting PDP governor, further highlighting the scale of the crisis rocking the party.

The defection comes against the backdrop of ongoing legal battles within the PDP, culminating in a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In a split decision, the court dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party challenging earlier judgments over its disputed convention.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice John Ada held that the party’s failure to comply with a subsisting order of the Federal High Court—restraining it from holding its Ibadan convention in November 2025—was fatal to the appeal. The apex court described the suit as an abuse of court process and consequently threw it out.

However, in a minority judgment, Justice Simon Tsammani upheld the PDP’s appeal, reflecting divisions even within the judicial outcome of the case.

The legal dispute originated from a suit filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, who had challenged the conduct of the party’s convention. The trial court had earlier ordered the PDP to halt the process, sell a chairmanship form to him, and then proceed with a fresh convention.

Political observers say Mohammed’s exit may further weaken the PDP’s standing as it grapples with internal disagreements and leadership disputes, even as rival parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.