The negotiations between Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, the Tanimu Turaki-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Congress (PDP) and the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) has collapsed.
Chairman of the Turaki-led PDP faction in Bauchi State, Samaila Adamu Burga, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Bauchi, on Saturday.
He said the APC had shown that it is not ready to accommodate his party structure and government.
According to him, APC had initiated discussions with the party through Prof Yiltwada Netanwe, the National Chairman, and the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, who visited Bala Mohammed in Bauchi to convince him to join the APC.
However, he said things fell through because the APC did not show readiness to accept the 60/40 sharing formula proposal for the control of the party in Bauchi and other critical conditions.
Burga explained, “This is how it has been done in other places where governors defected to APC. They rejected this formula and we have closed that discussion. You cannot expect a government bringing its structure from ward level to the state not to have control of the party.”
Asked the position of the governor on the development, Burga said, “We called for this press conference at the instance of His Excellency, the Governor, he is the one leading the discussions.”
Burga noted that after extensive consultations with PDP stakeholders and careful consideration, “it became clear that the conditions collectively advanced for such a political realignment were not accepted by the APC leadership. In light of this, we want to announce that the discussions have not yielded a conclusive outcome and are hereby formally discontinued.
Burga said that the party is considering other options, including potential alliances with interested political parties before making a formal decision.
He said the doors were open to other political parties for realignment and defection of the governor and his structure from the ward level to the state.
“While we appreciate the outreach and engagement by the APC, we wish to state unequivocally that the process has now been brought to a close.Consequently, the PDP in Bauchi State, in consultation with His Excellency and other critical stakeholders, is actively considering all available political options and political parties other than the APC, in order to determine the most suitable path forward in line with the aspirations and best interests of the people of Bauchi State,”Burga said.
“All doors to the PDP family in Bauchi State are open for discussion except the APC as I said. We are not specific on where we want to go but definitely we are going somewhere, where our people would have comfort and go in to contest election,” he added.
