Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
In a stunning move, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has announced his withdrawal from the 2027 presidential race, a decision that is already reshaping the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the nation’s political landscape.
Speaking in Bauchi upon his return from a tense National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Governor Mohammed described his move not as surrender but as a sacrifice for party unity and national balance. His decision comes after the PDP formally ratified its zoning formula, ceding the 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
“In the interest of the unity and progress of our great party and our nation, I have chosen to step aside,” Mohammed declared. “What is most important to me is peace within the PDP and justice for all regions. I agree to give the South a chance for fairness and democratic progress.”
The two-term governor, who has served as senator, minister, and is regarded as a heavyweight within the PDP, was widely tipped as a frontrunner for the ticket. His withdrawal clears the way for southern aspirants and signals an extraordinary show of compliance with the party’s long-standing power rotation principle.
“Despite the immense encouragement I have received from supporters across the six geopolitical zones,” he said, “my ambition is secondary to the health of our democracy. Justice must prevail, and every region must have its moment at the helm of leadership.”
Political analysts have hailed the decision as an “extraordinary act of statesmanship” capable of unifying the PDP ahead of a make-or-break 2027 contest. His exit, they argue, removes one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the emergence of a southern flagbearer.
With the PDP convention slated for Ibadan in November, the party is now expected to formally consolidate its zoning policy and rally behind a southern contender. Bala’s withdrawal, observers note, may prove to be either the masterstroke that unifies the PDP—or the gamble that exposes its deepest divisions.