Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, has declared his intention to contest the Bauchi South senatorial seat in 2027.
Mohammed spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa, posted on
Saturday, following the Supreme Court judgment which voided the national
convention of the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) held in Ibadan in November 2025.
Following the leadership crisis rocking the PDP,
speculations have intensified in recent weeks, linking the governor to possible
moves to other political platforms, including the African Democratic Congress
(ADC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
On March 31, Mohammed hosted ADC leaders, including Babachir
Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), at the
Bauchi government house.
He also received Nentawe Yilwatda, APC national chairman;
and Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, on April 1, fueling further talk of a
possible defection.
The consultations, however, collapsed on April 18 after both
sides failed to agree on a power-sharing arrangement.
During the BBC Hausa interview, Mohammed said discussions on
his political direction were nearing conclusion.
“With only a few days left, we are working to conclude
discussions on where to move,” he said.
“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.”
The governor ruled out a presidential ambition, saying his
focus remains on his senatorial bid.
“I have no interest in contesting for the presidency; in
fact, we supported zoning it to the south for the sake of fairness within the
PDP,” he said.
“However, I have decided to contest for the senate because
the people of Bauchi-south have asked me to. They have put their hope in me,
and as long as I am alive and healthy, I feel it is my duty to accept their
call and serve.”
Mohammed also said he was in talks with opposition figures,
including Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi, over possible political collaboration.
“We are currently in talks with Kwankaso and Obi. While
people asking us to team up and work together, remaining in the same political
alignment is difficult because every state is unique,” he said.
“The issues we face are different, and the interests of the
people vary significantly from one region to another.”
He dismissed insinuations that the Supreme Court ruling
favoured the Wike-led PDP faction, insisting that both conflict camps of the
party lost out in the judgment.
“It is neither a total defeat for us nor a complete victory
for the other side. While our Ibadan convention was nullified, their leadership
was also set aside,” he said.
He added that the party’s board of trustees would oversee
affairs pending the emergence of an interim leadership, following the court’s
decision invalidating the current structure.
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