A prominent figure in the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Buba Galadima, has lifted the lid on why Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, is reluctant to jump ship to the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The revelation came during the inauguration of the NDC’s reconciliation committee, where Galadima painted a picture of a governor caught between two worlds.
According to Galadima, the governor was strongly cautioned against aligning with a party that already boasts a formidable presidential contender. That advice, he said, has left Mohammed perched firmly on the political fence, weighing his options between backing the NDC or throwing his weight behind President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Galadima didn’t mince words when breaking down the current political arithmetic. “President Tinubu has 34 and a half governors. The only governor not with him is Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. Alex Otti of Abia State is there. Forget about that,” he said, dismissing any notion of Otti being a holdout. “The half is Governor Bala Mohammed.”
He went on to recount a tense, late-night meeting that nearly changed the course of the governor’s political future. “We met with him until 3am, and he was supposed to defect the next day, but he called us in the morning saying he has changed his mind because he was advised not to move to a party with a strong presidential candidate.”
Galadima left little room for certainty about Mohammed’s next move, describing him as a man keeping his cards close to his chest. “Bala Mohammed is on the fence. He may work with us, or he may work with President Tinubu,” he said, underscoring the high-stakes maneuvering that is likely to define the run-up to 2027.
