2027: My father must avoid becoming PDP’s scapegoat – Gov’s son

The son of Bauchi State governor, Engr. Shamsudeen Bala, has charged the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to strategise to win the 2027 presidential election and prevent a repeat of history by scapegoating his father, Bala Mohammed, after the polls.

Recalls that the Governor Mohammed-led PDP Governors’ Forum recently resolved after their meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to avoid any possible merger or coalition with other opposition political parties ahead of the next general elections.

This decision, in many quarters, has been seen as a blow to the party’s leader, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who has been seen to have preference for coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Labour Party (LP).

In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Engr. Bala, noted the PDP’s history victory of the PDP in Bauchi during the 2023 presidential elections which was the first time since 2003 when the state became the stronghold of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He insisted that a workable plan for the party to win across the country in 2027 must be perfected by all stakeholders of the party.

“From 2003 onward, Bauchi became Muhammadu Buhari’s stronghold, cutting across political platforms—ANPP, CPC, and APC. Not even PDP’s Northern stalwart, Atiku Abubakar, could reverse the tide,” he noted.

He added that the 2023 elections turned the tide with the PDP winning Bauchi in a presidential election for the first time in 24 years.

He attributed the victory to strategic mobilisation, unyielding resolve, and grassroots loyalty.

Engr. Bala said his father overcame formidable challenges, including factional disputes within the PDP, aggressive campaigns from the APC led by President Bola Tinubu and relentless internal and external pressures.

“Yet, against all odds, he delivered a historic victory for the PDP, even outperforming Atiku’s home state of Adamawa,” he said.

“Bauchi didn’t flip itself,” he emphasised. “It took my father’s political tact, unwavering loyalty, and sheer strength of character to achieve this feat. He defended the soul of the party in the North-East when it mattered most.”

He warned against allowing Governor Bala’s sacrifices for the PDP to be forgotten or, worse, undermined by vested interest within the party.

Drawing parallel to 2023 when former Governor Nyesom Wike as Rivers State governor became a scapegoat despite his contributions to the party, Bala urged the PDP to reform, reconcile, and appreciate loyalists like his father before the next electoral contest.

“The time for gratitude and unity is now. If the PDP waits until 2027 to acknowledge my father’s efforts, it may already be too late,” he warned.

He explained that Governor Bala’s historic win in 2023 was more than a political victory, maintaining that it was a lifeline for the PDP in the North.