Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), citing unresolved internal crises within the opposition party.
Mohammed announced his defection on Saturday following a stakeholders’ meeting convened to assess the fallout of the recent Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment on the PDP leadership tussle.
The governor said he had spent over a week in Abuja engaging party leaders in efforts to resolve the crisis but noted that the court’s decision, which nullified parallel conventions conducted by rival factions, had worsened the situation.
According to him, the ruling stripped both factions of legal standing, leaving the party’s Board of Trustees to temporarily manage its affairs.
“After wide consultations, it became clear that our efforts to stabilise the party have not yielded the desired results,” Mohammed said.
He, however, expressed appreciation to the PDP for providing him a platform for political growth, stressing that his exit was not borne out of bitterness.
“We remain PDP at heart, but we cannot leave our people without a credible and effective political platform,” he added.
Mohammed described his move to the APM as strategic, aimed at ensuring political continuity and electoral success, noting that the party is free from legal encumbrances.
He also disclosed that members of the State Executive Council seeking elective positions had resigned in compliance with legal requirements.
To facilitate a smooth transition, the governor announced the establishment of a compliance committee, the commencement of online membership registration, and the setting up of a liaison team to interface with relevant electoral authorities.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APM, Yusuf Dantalle, formally received the governor and his supporters into the party.
Dantalle described the APM as a democratic platform guided by integrity, sacrifice, and service, assuring the new members of internal stability.
He also commended Mohammed’s leadership style and presented him with the party’s membership card and insignia, symbolising his formal admission into the APM.
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