Gov. Mohammed makes u-turn, cancels defection to APC over disagreement on sharing formula

Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, has cancelled his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, following a disagreement over a 60–40 sharing formula.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Mr Mohammed had earlier indicated interest in joining the African Democratic Congress, ADC, after meeting with a delegation of the party’s officials in Bauchi penultimate week.

However, less than 24 hours after the meeting, the leadership of the APC, led by its National chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, alongside Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, met with the governor in a bid to prevent him from joining the ADC.

The delegation, in addition to meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima, reportedly wooed the governor to join the ruling party.

But addressing a press conference on Saturday, the Bauchi State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sama’ila Burga, said the APC had shown it was not ready to accommodate the PDP structure and the state government.

Mr Burga disclosed that the APC initiated talks through the governor, involving its national leadership and Governor Abba Yusuf, who visited Bauchi to persuade Mr Mohammed to join the party.

He said the discussions collapsed after the APC failed to agree to the 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 the 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,” Mr Burga said.

“We have called for this press conference at the instance of His Excellency, the Governor, who is leading the discussions.”

The party chairman further stated that after extensive consultations with stakeholders, the PDP discontinued 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.