The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, has declared that the gale of defections by the members of the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won’t sink the main opposition party, insisting that PDP will remain strong and reclaim power in 2027.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Abuja at the inauguration of the media sub-committee of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), Mohammed, who also serves as Chairman of the PDP National Convention Publicity and Communication Subcommittee, described the defection to APC as an act of cowardice as Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State joins his Enugu State counterpart, Governor Peter Mbah in moving to APC in the coming days.
While acknowledging his deep concern about some governors and lawmakers defecting to the APC, Mohammed insisted that the PDP would weather the storm and hold the scheduled November National Convention.
This is just as a Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to grant an interim order stopping the PDP from holding its planned meetings and national convention.
Mohammed accused the APC-led federal government of using coercive tactics to weaken the opposition, saying the ruling party was bent on turning Nigeria into a one-party state.
“You know the style of leadership of the APC-led federal government in trying to make this country a one-party state. They have the power of coercion; they have the power of everything,” he said.
He insisted that the defections would not derail the PDP’s resurgence, stressing that most Nigerians at the grassroots remained loyal to the party.
“Even those who left are not finding it easier because most of the people at the grassroots level are PDP and are not happy with the defections. Sometimes it is done because of permutations and calculations. But I assure you, I am not going anywhere. I am in PDP, and my state has no element of division,” he explained.
Mohammed revealed that more defections could occur, including from lawmakers in his state, but insisted the PDP structure remained solid.
“Even today, I saw in the news that one of my senators is going. They are being controlled, they are being bought, but certainly, the state is PDP. Nigerians want change, and they believe they can get it through the PDP,” he stated.
Reacting to concerns over potential threats to next month’s national convention of the PDP, he said the party leadership was working to resolve internal disputes and litigation aimed at destabilising preparations.
“By the grace of God, no Jupiter will stop us. No dark forces will succeed over us. The dark forces — if they succeed over PDP, they have succeeded over Nigeria.
“We have to change the governance style of this country, and this is the beginning. This is the time to do it. We have never suffered as a country as we are suffering today under the APC. You have seen what is happening. We don’t have to go into deep melancholy and be crying as whipping boys or girls.
“We thank the convention committee for giving us the opportunity to do that,” he added.
Mohammed noted that while some individuals had approached the courts to stop the party’s convention, the PDP remained more organised than most opposition parties.
Responding to the reports of Governor Mbah’s rumoured defection from the PDP, Mohammed said Mbah had not formally declared any intention to leave and remained a respected colleague.
“Actually, Governor Mbah has not told us his position. It is a personal decision. We cannot remove his picture before he leaves. When he leaves, we will replace him with another person. Up till now, he has not told me he’s leaving,” he said.
He also dismissed speculation surrounding Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, describing him as a loyal member of the PDP who had endured significant challenges in office.
On speculation about a possible 2027 involvement of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2027 presidential election, the Bauchi State governor said the PDP remained open to prominent figures who wished to return or associate with the party.
“People are still interested in this party, and these big names being associated with us make us happy. As governors, we have resolved to put personal interests aside. We are united and will come up with leadership that will be the best choice for Nigerians to put in Aso Rock, inshallah,” he stated.
Governor Mohammed reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP and expressed optimism that new, visionary leaders would emerge from the party in 2027 to defeat what he called the APC’s ‘deceptive’ style of politics.
He tasked party members not to be deterred, stressing that it’s an act of cowardice to leave the party because of one or a few individuals.
“We are confident. Please, be emboldened. Don’t be disturbed by the defections, by the shenanigans, by all those doubting Thomases. Don’t be disturbed. You should be encouraged because staying back to fight is what makes a man or a woman. It’s an act of cowardice to leave because of one or two people.
You are also men and women of strength and integrity. We thank you most sincerely for coming on short notice to attend this inauguration meeting,” he said.
Mohammed vowed not to defect from the party.
“I assure you, I am not going anywhere. I am in PDP and my state has no element of division,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to grant an interim order stopping the PDP from holding its planned meetings and national convention.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, refused the plaintiffs’ ex parte application seeking interim injunctions to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP from proceeding with the party’s scheduled leadership meetings and convention.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was filed by the PDP chairman in Imo State, Austine Nwachukwu; Chairman of the Abia State chapter, Amah Abraham Nnanna; and the South-south Secretary of the party, Turnah George.
An online medium reported that the plaintiffs are believed to be allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who has been opposing the planned PDP national convention.
In the suit, the plaintiffs asked the court to compel the INEC to ensure that the PDP does “not hold any meetings, congresses, or conventions unless proper notice has been given and a democratic process/platform has been put in place to conduct such gatherings”.
In particular, they are asking that the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for October 18 and the national convention scheduled for November 15–16 be stopped or restrained until the main application is heard and determined.
The plaintiffs also prayed the court “to bar INEC from monitoring or taking part in any PDP leadership meetings, including its planned NEC, caucus, or NWC meetings, slated for October 15, or any later date,” until their substantive application for injunction is determined.
In addition to their request, the plaintiffs sought “to restrain the PDP and its key officials from holding any leadership or decision-making meetings, including the planned NEC and caucus meetings fixed for October 15, 2025, or conducting the national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State, or anywhere else, until their main application is heard”.
They asked the court to order all parties to maintain the status quo and refrain from taking any steps that could affect the pending application for an interlocutory injunction.
However, in his ruling, the judge declined the request to grant the ex parte order.
“The motion ex parte for interim injunction is hereby refused,” he ruled.
He ordered the plaintiffs to serve all the defendants with their motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.
The judge added that all parties should avoid any step or decision that could nullify the court’s eventual ruling.
“All parties in this suit, upon being served with this order and the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction, must not take any step, decision, or act that will make the outcome of the reliefs in the motion nugatory,” the judge said.
“Any step, decision, or act taken to make the outcome of a judicial process, such as the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction nugatory, shall be deemed to be a nullity.”
The matter was adjourned to October 14 for hearing the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction. – Thisday.
