PDP crisis deepens as Bala Mohammed, Makinde set to dump party before April

The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may worsen in the coming weeks as Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and his Oyo State counterpart Seyi Makinde are reportedly preparing to leave the opposition party before April.

Sources within the party disclosed that the two governors have concluded plans to exit the PDP amid the lingering leadership tussle that has triggered a wave of defections by top members of the party.

According to a credible insider familiar with the development, Governor Mohammed is expected to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while Governor Makinde is said to be heading to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the situation within the party has become increasingly uncertain.

“All the PDP leaders are leaving. Bala Mohammed is already in APC, while Makinde is on his way to ADC,” the source revealed.

The PDP has been grappling with an unprecedented wave of defections since the 2023 general elections, with several governors abandoning the party, citing irreconcilable internal crises.

The first major defection occurred in April 2025 when Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori dumped the PDP for the APC. This was followed in June 2025 by Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, who also joined the ruling party.

In October 2025, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah defected to the APC, while Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri followed suit in November of the same year.

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara also switched allegiance to the APC in December 2025.

The defections continued into 2026 as Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, and Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri all reportedly abandoned the PDP for the ruling party in January.

However, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke took a different route when he left the PDP for the Accord Party in December 2025.

Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has also indicated interest in leaving the PDP for the APC.

READ ALSO: Dickson dumps PDP for Nigeria Democratic Congress, says party ‘on life support’

Sources say the governor is expected to be formally received into the ruling party shortly after the forthcoming Eid al-Adha celebration.

The wave of defections is not limited to governors. Several lawmakers at the National Assembly have also abandoned the opposition party.

Data compiled by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) shows that as of January 2026, no fewer than 66 PDP federal lawmakers had defected to the APC since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.

The figure includes 19 senators and 47 members of the House of Representatives.

Political analysts say the rush by politicians to defect is largely influenced by the new election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Under the schedule, the presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.

INEC also fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026 for political parties to conduct their primary elections.

In addition, political parties are required to submit their membership registers to the electoral body between April 1 and April 21, 2026, in accordance with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act.

Amid the lingering leadership crisis, there are growing concerns that the PDP may struggle to field a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

A party chieftain, Omenka Thomas, said ongoing litigation over the validity of the party’s Ibadan convention could complicate the conduct of presidential primaries.

According to him, uncertainty surrounding court rulings has discouraged many aspirants from investing resources in the process.

“We thought that by now the Court of Appeal would have ruled on the matter and that the Supreme Court would give a final verdict before the primaries, but we are still stuck at the appeal stage,” he said.

He also alleged that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was working to ensure the party does not present a candidate in 2027.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria sitting in Ibadan recently urged the warring factions within the PDP to resolve their differences amicably.

The court described the conflict as a family dispute that had “gone sour” and encouraged reconciliation among party leaders.

The Abuja division of the appellate court is expected to deliver its judgment on the consolidated appeals filed by the rival factions later this week, a decision that may determine the future of the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.