Politics
BREAKING: Bala Mohammed, Makinde Set To Dump PDP, New Party Reveals
Barely any last minute change, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and his Oyo State counterpart Seyi Makinde will quit their membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before April, DAILY POST reports.
It has been a tumultuous period for the PDP as its key leaders continue to defect following the protracted leadership tussle bedeviling the opposition platform.
A credible source familiar with developments in the party told DAILY POST weekend that while Bala Mohammed is on his way to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Makinde has concluded plans to join the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The source, who spoke anonymously, told our correspondent that “all the PDP leaders are leaving. Bala Mohammed is already in APC, Makinde is on his way to ADC”.
How governors resigned from PDP
Since 2023 general elections, no fewer than 9 PDP governors have left the party, citing an irreconcilable crisis in the opposition party.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State was first to dump the party for APC in April 2025.
Subsequently, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom joined the ruling party in June 2025, followed by Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who also decamped to APC in October 2025.
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri joined APC in November 2025, followed by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who also defected to the ruling party in December 2025.
In January this year, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, Agbu Kefas of Taraba State and Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State all dumped PDP for the ruling party.
Only Ademola Adeleke of Osun State defected to the Accord Party in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has indicated interest to dump PDP for APC.
DAILY POST gathered that Governor Dauda will be officially received into the party immediately after the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Both federal and state lawmakers are not left out in the gale of defections from the PDP to the ruling APC.
According to a tracking by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre up to January 2026, 66 PDP federal lawmakers have defected to APC since the 10th National Assembly began in June 2023.
No fewer than 19 senators and 47 House of Representatives members dumped PDP for APC
Defectors move to beat INEC deadline
Politicians planning to defect to another party are under pressure to conclude their plans before April following the new election timetable recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
In the new timetable, INEC fixed January 16, 2027 for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and state houses of assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
However, the conduct of party primary elections, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, will commence on April 23, 2026 and end on May 30, 2026.
DAILY POST reports that under the revised schedule, political parties are required to submit their membership register to the electoral body between April 1, 2026 and April 21, 2026 in line with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The electoral law requires registers to be submitted “not later than 21 days to the conduct of party primaries.”
Similarly, political parties must conduct their primaries latest May 30, 2026 to enable them “democratically nominate candidates for the election as required by Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026,” said INEC.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) recorded a massive show of strength in Ekiti State as early voting reports from several polling units indicated overwhelming support for the party during the ongoing electoral process.
The development sparked celebrations among ADC supporters across on social media platforms, with many describing the outcome as a reflection of the people’s desire for political change and improved governance.
Reacting to the development, supporters on social media platform X, particularly members of the popular “Atikulate” movement, expressed excitement over the party’s performance. Several posts hailed the results as a positive sign for the opposition ahead of future political contests, while urging party members to remain vigilant until the final declaration of results.
Political observers noted that the strong showing by the ADC could reshape the political landscape in Ekiti, traditionally regarded as a battleground between Nigeria’s major political parties.
As the voting continues, stakeholders have called on supporters to remain peaceful and allow the relevant authorities to complete the process in accordance with electoral guidelines.
However, there was no official result from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as of the time of filing this report. The commission is yet to conclude the collation and announcement of results, while political parties and supporters continue to monitor developments across the state.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has announced it will not be participating in the forthcoming local government election in the state.
The party disclosed this in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, on Thursday in Ibadan.
The local government election in the state has been fixed for December 2026, but the APC, in its argument, described the decision to conduct the election as illegal, ill-conceived and self-serving.
Sadare said the decision will further worsen the current situation of things at the grassroots level in the state, alleging that Governor Seyi Makinde does not believe in local government autonomy.
He alleged that such action means that Makinde is now trying to impose another set of lackeys who would be loyal to him even after leaving the office.
“The whole world knows that Gov. Makinde does not believe in local government autonomy, and when it comes to democracy at the grassroots, he cannot be trusted for anything. He has feasted on the resources of the 33 local government councils in the state for over seven years and the people cannot wait for him to leave in May for the third tier of government to regain their freedom.
“The same Makinde is now trying to impose another set of lackeys who would be loyal to him even after leaving Agodi Government House and he knows he cannot do this after the conduct of the 2027 general elections, which outcome would strip him of all political power and influence.”
As Ekiti State prepares for Saturday’s governorship election, Isaac Fayose has alleged that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are planning to engage in vote-buying during the poll.
Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose, raised the alarm on Thursday through a video shared on his official Facebook page.
He claimed that intelligence available to him suggests that arrangements have already been made to influence voters with cash ahead of the election.
The businessman called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to closely monitor activities during the election and take immediate action against anyone caught attempting to buy votes.
According to him, the credibility of the election will depend largely on how effectively security and anti-corruption agencies handle electoral offences.
Fayose argued that Nigeria’s democratic system continues to suffer because elections are often manipulated, making it difficult for truly popular candidates to emerge victorious.
He said, “Nigeria is not developing because our electoral system is faulty. Popular people don’t get into power but unpopular people do because they are rigged in.
“If our votes can’t put the best candidates there, it means we are in a mess. We will see on Saturday whether EFCC is effective or not.
“If EFCC is on ground, they should be able to apprehend many vote buyers because APC is planning to buy votes. EFCC, Nigerians are watching, you now have an office in Ekiti State.
“We have credible information that these people are planning to buy votes”.
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