Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has formally left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), taking along party members loyal to the Tanimu Turaki-led leadership.
The announcement was made on Saturday at the Government House in Bauchi, where the governor appeared alongside APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, and other key political figures.
“After extensive consultation, we have taken a firm and strategic decision to join the Allied Peoples Movement (APM),” Mohammed told the gathering.
“This is guided by one overriding objective: to secure victory in both states and continue to serve our people with utmost integrity, effectively mobilise our supporters and present a coherent and credible alternative to the people,” he said.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the governor explained that the move was necessary to ensure his supporters are not left without a viable political platform.
“I cannot allow our people to run out without a credible and effective political platform,” he said.
“Our duty is to provide energy and direction; at the same time, make sure that the opportunity provided to all of us is not diminished.”
Mohammed also expressed appreciation to the PDP, the party under which he was first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, acknowledging its role in his political journey.
“It has been a platform through which we have found and contributed to the development of our state and our peer nation,” he said. “We remain grateful for this history and the opportunities provided.”
In a symbolic gesture, Dantalle officially received the governor into the APM by presenting him with a membership card and a party-branded cap, bearing the party’s logo — a tuber of cassava.
“I welcome you into the party, and I will start by giving you what qualifies you to be a member of the party: your membership card,” Dantalle said.
The defection followed a closed-door meeting with key stakeholders and puts an end to months of speculation about Mohammed’s political future amid ongoing internal challenges within the PDP.
Until his exit, Mohammed served as chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and was among the last remaining PDP governors alongside his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde.
Prior to this move, the governor had held talks with leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but those discussions did not materialise, leading to his eventual alignment with the APM.