The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, visited the Government House in Bauchi on Wednesday, just a day after Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed announced plans to defect to the African Democratic Congress.
The two leaders were seen going into the Government House, where they met with Mohammed behind closed doors.
None of the participants spoke to reporters at the conclusion of the meeting.
Today, the governor is anticipated to declare which political party he will join.
This comes after Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, criticized the governor for his contradictions.
The visit to the governor may be related to attempts to get him to change his mind about joining the ADC and instead support the APC, according to sources in the Government House.
The event occurred one day after Mohammed, who also serves as the chair of the PDP Governors’ Forum, welcomed an ADC delegation headed by Babachir Lawal, a former secretary to the Government of the Federation.
In an interview on Tuesday, the governor noted that attempts at reconciliation had failed and blamed his intended defection on the ongoing crisis inside the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said, “We have found ourselves in a very serious situation. I have done everything possible to ensure reconciliation, but it has not worked.
We set up committees at both the national and state levels to explore all options, including even the APC, but sadly, we discovered that we are not wanted there.”
Mohammed continued by saying that while talks with several political platforms were still in progress, the ADC had shown to be the most viable choice thus far.
“As of right moment, ADC seems to be a really friendly and accepted platform. We haven’t finished our conversations, though. To make sure we don’t make mistakes, we are involving stakeholders,” he stated.
The governor added that his group preferred other political platforms because they felt excluded from the APC.
Our antecedents will undoubtedly connect most of the people around us, preferring ADC or other parties to the APC, but we are not desired in the APC because we are not being approached and we tried to get there.
“If they open up and say we should come to the APC, we will go, but for now, the preference is to move to the opposition party,” he added.
“We have somebody called Wike who is being used to destroy us,” the governor added, adding that Wike was put in the PDP to weaken the party. With all of the PDP’s positions, he has already taken over the party.
In reaction, Wike called the assertion “extremely embarrassing” and chastised the governor for being inconsistent.
He called the accusations that he was set up to undermine the PDP baseless.
“This accusation of me being planted; they have always accused me, but all those who accused me, where are they now? They have moved to APC. So who now has told the truth?” he asked.
Speaking on Wednesday during the inspection of road construction projects throughout Abuja, Wike accused Mohammed of attempting to negotiate with the APC in the past. He also mentioned a trip to Port Harcourt in 2022, where the governor allegedly lobbied for Tinubu before returning to support Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s candidate for the 2023 election.
“It’s really embarrassing. He tells you one thing today, says one thing in the morning, and says something other in the afternoon.
Bala, we are very happy that you told Nigerians who you are—that you are never stable,” Wike said.
In addition, Wike addressed internal PDP conflicts, claiming that the party is still “alive and kicking” in spite of continuous legal challenges.
Mohammed’s application for the party’s national secretary post was condemned by him as coming from “a position of weakness.”
“You have already been defeated,” he declared. You want to demand the secretary while speaking from a vulnerable position? That hasn’t been completed.
He also charged the governor of Bauchi with trying to influence party procedures for his own benefit.
“It is really embarrassing,” he enquired. He claimed to have visited Mr. President three times. For what reason did he visit Mr. President? How will someone from a different party resolve your own issue?
While continuing to support the President, Wike maintained his allegiance to the PDP while considering its internal discipline and delegate system.
“I have said I will not leave the PDP. I have said that I will continue to support Mr President, that has been my position from 2022 to 2023,” he said.
IPAC alerts the Bauchi government
In the meantime, the governor has been advised by the Bauchi State Inter-Party Advisory Council to give the state’s citizens’ interests top priority when choosing his next platform.
Auwal Isah, the state IPAC Chairman, made the request on Wednesday in Bauchi.
Citing what he called “irreconcilable differences within the party,” Isah stated that the council supported the governor’s decision to think about leaving the PDP.
He pointed out that IPAC, the nation’s coordinating body of political parties, was ready to take the lead in helping the governor switch to a different platform.
“Bala Mohammed has the constitutional right to associate with any political party of his choice to participate effectively in political activities.
Anywhere he goes, the place will definitely witness increased political activities,” Isah said.
The IPAC chairman went on to say that the council would support the governor if he had already made up his mind and was prepared to advise him on the best party to join.
He underlined that the governor must make sure that his choice represented the interests of Bauchi State and Nigeria as a whole.
