Jonathan 2027: Bala Mohammed’s next move deepens PDP ticket suspense

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has dismissed reports linking him with a possible 2027 joint ticket with former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mohammed said he was not planning to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, or become Jonathan’s running mate under any factional arrangement.

The governor made the clarification following claims that he could return to the PDP to pair with Jonathan ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Jonathan was on Saturday named as the presidential candidate of a PDP faction led by Kabiru Turaki.

The former president was ratified at a special national convention held at the faction’s office in Area 10, Garki, Abuja.

Jonathan was not present at the convention, but his certificate of return was received on his behalf by Fred Agbedi, a member of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa State.

Following the development, Nuhu Sada, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, claimed in a post on X that there were reports suggesting Mohammed could become Jonathan’s running mate.

But Mohammed, in a response on X, said such reports were speculative and inaccurate.

He said his focus remained on contesting the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat in 2027 under the Allied Peoples Movement, APM.

“Thank you for your interest in my political aspirations. However, for the sake of clarity, my focus remains firmly on contesting for the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM),” he wrote.

“Any reports suggesting a different political course should be disregarded as speculative and inaccurate. Thank you.”

In a separate statement, Kaura Independent Communication also described the report as false and politically motivated.

The group said Mohammed remained committed to his political agenda under the APM and was working to ensure the party’s victory across Bauchi State in 2027.

It said there was no plan for the governor to defect to the PDP or enter into any arrangement with Jonathan.

The statement added that the claims were being pushed by political mischief-makers seeking to distract supporters and create confusion.

It urged members of the public, party faithful, supporters and the media to disregard any information not released through Mohammed’s authorised communication channels.

Mohammed recently left the PDP for the APM following the crisis rocking the opposition party.