Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has dismissed reports linking him to Jonathan’s 2027 ticket, describing claims that he could emerge as running mate to former President Goodluck Jonathan in the next general election as false and speculative.
The clarification followed growing political discussions after a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, announced Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election during a special national convention held in Abuja. Although the former president did not attend the gathering, his certificate of return was received on his behalf by former Bayelsa State lawmaker, Fred Agbedi.
Speculation surrounding Jonathan’s 2027 ticket intensified on social media after claims emerged that Mohammed was being considered for the vice-presidential position. One of the posts that gained attention was shared by Nuhu Sada on X, suggesting that the Bauchi governor was being linked to a joint presidential ticket with Jonathan ahead of the election.
Reacting to the claims, Mohammed publicly rejected the reports and reaffirmed his political plans.
“Thank you for your interest in my political aspirations. However, for the sake of clarity, my focus remains firmly on contesting for the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM),” the governor stated.
He urged supporters and members of the public to disregard reports suggesting he was pursuing any other political arrangement, maintaining that he had no intention of abandoning his current ambition.
The controversy emerged amid wider disagreements within the PDP over efforts by a faction led by Kabiru Turaki to promote Jonathan as a presidential candidate for 2027. A separate PDP leadership group aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike had earlier distanced itself from the process, describing reports of Jonathan’s adoption as unauthorised and misleading. The faction said no recognised organ of the party had approved any convention or affirmation process for the former president.
The group also called on Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from what it described as a political “charade,” while urging Nigerians to rely only on official party communications regarding presidential nominations and internal party affairs.
Political discussions around Jonathan’s 2027 ticket have continued because the former president remains constitutionally eligible to contest another presidential election, having served only one elected term as president between 2011 and 2015. However, Jonathan has not publicly declared any intention to run in 2027.
Mohammed’s latest statement is expected to ease speculation surrounding his future political plans. For now, the governor insists his attention remains on the Bauchi South Senatorial contest under the APM, while uncertainty continues over whether Jonathan will formally respond to the various political groups promoting his potential return to national politics.
