Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has criticized recent defections from the PDP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the move as a strategic error and the emerging coalition as a political “anomaly.”
Speaking at the PDP Founding Fathers and Stakeholders Consultative Conference in Abuja, themed “Reclaiming Our Legacy, Renewing Our Collective Vision,” Mohammed cautioned defectors — including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark, and Dele Momodu — against abandoning a party with strong structures and legacy for what he called a “platform without a foundation.”
How is it smart to leave the PDP — a party with history, legacy, governors, senators, and grassroots support — for a party that has no office?” he asked. “It’s a malady. It’s a strategic blunder.
While expressing disappointment, Mohammed called for unity and urged defectors to return, emphasizing that their political futures still lie within the PDP.
Even our elders who have left — we won’t abuse or diminish them. With humility, we ask: come back. This is the platform you built. Why go elsewhere just for tickets you might not win with? he said.
The governor also issued a stern warning against dual affiliations, insisting that party discipline must be upheld.
You cannot be in PDP and also align with another party. That’s political indiscipline. You must choose — you can’t be in two places at once. Coalition politics is an aberration.
Mohammed further stressed that PDP governors are delivering effective governance and that the party remains the most viable platform for national leadership.
We’re not afraid of anyone in politics. But those who left must stop demarketing the PDP — the same party that helped them rise. We respected them then, and we expect the same courtesy now.
The PDP, he concluded, remains open to reconciliation but will not tolerate internal sabotage or shifting loyalties.