Nigerian governor set to join ADC
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing another wave of defections as two serving governors are reportedly preparing to leave the opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State are expected to exit the PDP before April if current plans go ahead.
According to Daily Post, Bala Mohammed is heading to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while Makinde is planning to move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Several leaders in the party are already leaving as the internal crisis within the PDP continues to deepen.
The opposition party has been dealing with internal disagreements and leadership struggles for some time, and the situation has pushed many of its top members to seek new political homes.
Since the 2023 general elections, several PDP governors have left the party.
The first major defection occurred in April 2025 when Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori moved to the APC. In June 2025, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno also joined the ruling party.
Later in October 2025, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah left the PDP and joined the APC. The wave of defections continued in November 2025 when Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri moved to the ruling party.
In December 2025, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara also dumped the PDP and aligned with the APC.
The trend continued into 2026. In January, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas and Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri all left the PDP for the ruling party.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke also exited the PDP in December 2025 but chose a different path by joining the Accord Party instead of the APC.
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal is also expected to leave the PDP. Information gathered indicates that he plans to move to the APC and may be formally welcomed into the party after the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The defections are not limited to governors. Members of the National Assembly elected under the PDP platform have also been switching parties in large numbers.
Many politicians are now rushing to complete their defections before April because of the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections.
According to the election schedule, presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections are set for February 6, 2027.
Party primary elections are scheduled to begin on April 23, 2026 and end on May 30, 2026. Political parties are also expected to submit their membership registers to INEC between April 1 and April 21, 2026 as required by the Electoral Act.
