Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), citing the opposition party’s protracted leadership crisis and the fallout from a recent Supreme Court judgment.
The governor announced his defection on Saturday, May 2, 2026, following a meeting with political stakeholders in Abuja to review the implications of the apex court’s ruling, which nullified parallel conventions held by rival PDP factions.
Governor Mohammed, who had spent the past eight days engaging party leaders in a bid to resolve the crisis, said the judgment had stripped the factions of legal backing, leaving the party’s Board of Trustees to temporarily manage affairs. He noted that subsequent developments confirmed the failure of efforts to stabilise the PDP.
“After careful consideration and wide consultations with leaders and stakeholders across the country, it has become clear that our efforts to restore stability have not yielded the desired results,” he stated.
Expressing gratitude to the PDP for his political growth, Mohammed added: “We remain PDP at heart. We are leaving not out of bitterness, but out of necessity — to continue the struggle for good governance.”
He described the move to the APM as a strategic decision for political continuity and electoral viability, emphasising that the party is free from the legal encumbrances plaguing the PDP. State Executive Council members seeking elective positions have resigned in line with legal requirements.
Plans for the transition include setting up a compliance committee, commencing online membership registration, and intensifying engagement with APM leadership and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The governor urged his supporters to remain calm and united.
National Chairman of the APM, Yusuf Dantalle, formally welcomed Mohammed and his supporters, describing the party as a democratic platform anchored on integrity, sacrifice, and service.
Dantalle highlighted the APM’s stability, absence of internal crises, and recent electoral gains, including councillorship victories. He presented the governor with his membership card and party insignia.
