Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Nyesom Wike, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi State, exchanged sharp accusations on Wednesday over the governor’s possible defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) amid the party’s lingering internal crisis.
Mohammed, who chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, blamed Wike for the party’s instability and cited the crisis as a major reason he is considering leaving the PDP. The governor recently held separate meetings with leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi, though he has yet to announce his next political move.
Speaking after his meeting with ADC leaders, Mohammed said efforts to reconcile factions within the PDP had failed despite engagements with party leaders, including Wike and President Bola Tinubu. He added that while the APC did not appear receptive to his entry, the ADC seemed more open, noting that consultations with stakeholders were ongoing and a final decision would be taken soon.
Meanwhile, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda met with the Bauchi governor at Government House in Bauchi alongside Abba Yusuf, amid reports of efforts to persuade him to align with the ruling party instead of joining the ADC. The meeting followed an earlier visit by an ADC delegation led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
Responding during a project inspection in Abuja, Wike dismissed Mohammed’s planned exit from the PDP as “good riddance to bad rubbish,” alleging that the governor had repeatedly sought to negotiate his entry into the APC, including holding meetings with President Tinubu to secure concessions such as the right to influence his successor and obtain a Senate ticket.
The FCT minister also claimed Mohammed approached him to intervene within the PDP structure and sought the position of National Secretary currently held by Sam Anyanwu. According to Wike, the request was rejected because the governor was negotiating from a weak position after losing influence within the party’s state structure.
Wike further alleged that Mohammed had previously attempted to persuade him in 2022 to support President Tinubu and had privately expressed doubts about the political prospects of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, despite publicly maintaining ties with him.
In response to allegations that he was responsible for the PDP’s internal crisis, Wike insisted he remained committed to the party and would continue supporting President Tinubu politically, while arguing that members unwilling to stay and resolve party disputes were free to leave.
The exchange marks a deepening rift between the two senior PDP figures as uncertainty grows over Mohammed’s next political destination ahead of the 2027 elections.
