Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has clarified that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet to make any decision on its 2027 presidential ticket.
He noted that talk of a possible pairing between him and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, remains speculative at this stage.
Westernmirror.com.ng reports that Mohammed’s remarks are coming amid growing speculation about alignments and permutations within the PDP as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an appearance on Politics Tonight, a Channels Television programme on Tuesday, Mohammed said while both he and Makinde have demonstrated capacity at the subnational level, the PDP is committed to a process that reflects Nigeria’s religious and cultural diversity.
The Bauchi governor firmly ruled out the possibility of the opposition party adopting a Muslim-Muslim ticket, a move he described as a mistake the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) made in 2023.
“Everybody should know that the PDP is open, and it is open in a manner that allows the South to bring somebody,” Mohammed stated.
“We don’t want to make the mistake of the APC. We need a Christian from the South to emerge as presidential candidate so that he will lead the majority of Christian southerners, and then we can pick a majority Muslim vice president from the North.
“That way, we won’t put ourselves in a cul-de-sac like the APC did in 2023.”
He argued that the APC’s decision to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket ignored the nation’s delicate religious balance.
On the much-discussed possibility of teaming up with Makinde, Mohammed neither confirmed nor dismissed it outright.
“It depends on what Nigerians want. If they want the continuation of this clueless administration, then it is their choice,” he said.
“But certainly, Nigerians have seen the pedigree and capacity of Seyi and my humble self at subnational level. Of course, it is not only Seyi that is there; there are so many other people who may even come up and be good presidential or vice-presidential candidates.”