Bauchi Governor Ends PDP-to-APC Defection Talks

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has ended negotiations to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress after the talks collapsed over disagreements on power-sharing arrangements, according to state party officials.

The announcement came during a press conference on Saturday in Bauchi, where Samaila Adamu Burga, chairman of the governor's Turakiled PDP faction, detailed the breakdown. Burga said the APC initiated discussions through its national leadership, including a visit by National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf about three weeks ago. The outreach aimed to persuade Mohammed and other PDP figures, such as lawmakers and local government chairmen, to join the APC ahead of upcoming elections, in a bid to bolster the party's influence in the state.

Initial meetings showed promise, with both sides exploring cooperation and mutual benefits. However, the process stalled when the APC rejected a proposed 60-40 formula for control of party structures in Bauchi, a arrangement the governor's faction said had been used successfully in similar defections elsewhere. "This is how it has been done in other places where...