How Gov. Bala’s Planned Defection To APC Collapsed Over Power-Sharing Formula — Burga
By Akanni Toba
Chairman of the Turaki-led PDP faction in Bauchi State, Sama’ila Burga, has stated why Governor Bala Mohammed’s planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not come to fruition.
Burga noted that the Bauchi helmsman’s planned defection collapsed following disagreements over proposed power-sharing formula.
The PDP factional chairman spoke on Saturday while addressing newsmen in Bauchi.
Burka added that the consultations between Governor Bala of the Turaki-led faction and the APC leadership hit a brickwall when the parties involved could not reach a compromise on the power-sharing formula.
He clarified that the Bala camp demanded 60-40 power-sharing formula for the control of the party’s structure in the state which, according to him, the APC leadership rejected.
Meanwhile, the governor and his supporters have, however, declared their openness to align with other political parties, noting that plans were underway to consider fresh options for possible defection from the ward to the state level.
Burga added that with this development the APC had shown that it was not ready to allow the PDP structure and the state government in its fold.
Highlighting how the defection talks began, Burga stated that the APC first stretched the hand of fellowship to the PDP.
According to Burga, Governor Abba Yusuf visited Bauchi to prevail Bala Mohammed to dump PDP for APC.
He said the discussions, however, stalled after the APC failed to agree to the 60–40 sharing formula, which he noted had been adopted in similar defections in other states.
“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.
“We have called for this press conference at the instance of His Excellency, the Governor, who is leading the discussions,” he said.
