Barely any last minute change of mind had circumstances, governors of Bauchi and Oyo States, Bala Mohammed and his Seyi Makinde respectively will quit their membership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before April, 2026.
Investigations revealed that this period 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, who however pleased anonymity because he is unauthorised to speak on the matter told our correspondent at the 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 told our Correspondent that “all the PDP leaders are leaving. Bala Mohammed is already in APC, Makinde is on his way to ADC.”
Since the 2023 general elections, no fewer than 9 governors elected in the platform of the PDP have left the opposition party, citing irreconcilable crises in the party.
First to jump ship was the Governor of Delta State, who birthed in Sheriff Oborevwori, who defected to the All Progressives Congress in April 2025.
Following on his heels was the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, who also joined the ruling party in June 2025.
Eno was followed by governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, who also decamped to APC in October 2025.
In November 2025, governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri joined the band wagon. Diri was followed by the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, who also defected to the ruling party in December 2025.
In January this year, governors of Plateau, Taraba and Adamawa states, Caleb Mutfwang, Agbu Kefas and Ahmadu Fintiri respectively, all dumped PDP for the ruling party.
Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has indicated interest to dump PDP for APC.
Investigations also revealed that Governor Dauda will be officially unveiled as an APC member immediately after the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke also jumped ship and berthed in Accord ahead of the 2026 governorship election in the state.
Federal and state lawmakers are also not left out in the gale of defections from the PDP to the ruling APC.
A tracking by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre up to January 2026 showed that 66 PDP federal lawmakers have defected to APC since the 10th National Assembly began in June 2023.
Nineteen senators and 47 members of the House of Representatives have dumped the PDP for APC
Meanwhile, politicians planning to defect to another party are under pressure to conclude their plans before April, courtesy of the newly assented Electoral Act 2026 and the new election timetable recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The electoral umpire had 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.
According to the rescheduled election timetable, 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.
In accordance with the revised schedule, political parties are required to submit their membership register to the electoral umpire between April 1, 2026 and April 21, 2026 in line with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The electoral law requires party membership registers are to be submitted “not later than 21 days to the conduct of party primaries.”
In a related development, INEC insisted that political parties must conduct their primaries elections latest by May 30, 2026 to enable them “democratically nominate candidates for the election as required by Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
Also, there are indications that the PDP may boycott the 2027 presidential election due to the unending leadership tussle bedevilling the party.
A chieftain of the party, Omenka Thomas, told our correspondent said the litigation over the validity of the Ibadan convention will not be concluded before the presidential primary election.
He said, “Primary election is already at the corner and we don’t even know what the Appeal Court will decide on the matter yet.
“Now, any of the factions that elects a candidate during the primary, you don’t know what the court ruling will be; so nobody wants to waste his time and resources.
“We thought that by now, the Appeal Court must have ruled on the matter then before June to July, the Supreme Court will also give a final verdict but here we are still on appeal.
“The APC knows what they are doing. They brought down the date for primary elections knowing the case PDP has in court.
“The FCT Minister does not want the party to have a candidate in 2027 and the whole things are playing out the way he wants.”
Meanwhile, the Appeal Court in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday affirmed the judgment of the High Court which nullified the factional PDP National Convention which held on November 15 and 16.
This was just as the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday urged the warring factions of the party to resolve their differences amicably, describing the crisis as a family dispute that had “gone sour.”
Either side the pendulum swings, these are not good times for the once known “largest party in Africa,” which boasted of ruling Nigeria for 50 years.
