‘Bala Mohammed Still With PDP’ – Party Dismisses Defection Rumours

‘Bala Mohammed Still With PDP’ – Party Dismisses Defection Rumours
Governor reportedly reassured party leaders of loyalty to PDP.
Party says reconciliation talks within PDP factions are ongoing.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has dismissed reports suggesting that Bala Mohammed is planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speculation had emerged online claiming that Mohammed, who serves as chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and governor of Bauchi State, was finalising plans to join the ruling party amid ongoing reconciliation efforts within the opposition party.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the rumours surfaced as the PDP continues to grapple with internal disputes that have unsettled its leadership structure.

The party has suffered several high profile defections in recent months, including that of Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara State, who moved to the APC after the Court of Appeal (Nigeria) voided the PDP national convention held in Ibadan.

The convention had produced the Turaki led national leadership of the party, a development that deepened the crisis within the PDP.

Following the court ruling, reconciliation talks began between the Turaki led leadership backed by PDP governors and the National Caretaker Committee aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

However, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki led PDP, Ini Ememobong, dismissed the claims of Mohammed’s planned defection.

Speaking in an interview with Leadership Newspaper, Ememobong said the Bauchi governor had reassured the party leadership that he remains committed to the PDP.

He said, “What we know is that he has told us he is still with us. Even up till this morning (yesterday) when he had conversations with our national chairman, he insisted he is still with us. He has said it in several quarters that he is comfortable in the party so we don’t know where the rumours are coming from. Only time will tell. But what we know is that he has told us that he is with us.”

Ememobong also spoke on the proposed reconciliation talks between the Turaki led faction and the group aligned with Wike, noting that discussions among stakeholders were ongoing.

He said the process would be guided by agreed strategies to ensure that negotiations remain productive.

He said, “To facilitate decisions on which the reconciliation committee is working, it has been agreed that they should keep their work an internal issue and not escalate it.

‘Bala Mohammed Still With PDP’ – Party Dismisses Defection Rumours

“You know that in every negotiation, information is strategic, it can consolidate or endanger the reconciliation. So whatever they will do they have their terms of reference sufficient enough to guide them.”