- NDC chieftain Buba Galadima spoke at the inauguration of the party’s National Reconciliation Committee on Friday, August 7, 2026
- Galadima named Governor Bala Mohammed as a politician who nearly defected to the NDC but pulled back after last-minute advice
- The NDC chieftain also accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of engineering the Electoral Act to protect the APC ahead of the 2027 elections
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja – Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has claimed that President Bola Tinubu controls all but one and a half of Nigeria’s state governors, describing Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state as sitting on the fence between the ruling party and the opposition.
Legit.ng reports that Galadima made the remarks on Friday, August 7, at the inauguration of the NDC National Reconciliation Committee, a body set up to resolve disputes arising from the party’s primary elections ahead of the 2027 elections.
Source: Facebook
Galadima on Bala Mohammed
Speaking on the governor’s alignment ahead of the 2027 elections, Galadima said:
“President Tinubu has 34 and a half governors. The only governor that is not with him is Governor Seyi Makinde. Alex Otti is there…forget about that. The half is Governor Bala Mohammed.
“We met with him (Mohammed) until 3 am, and he was supposed to defect the next day, but he called us in the morning saying he has changed his mind because he was advised not to move to a party with a strong presidential candidate. Bala Mohammed is on the fence. He may work with us, or he may work with President Tinubu.”
Legit.ng reports that Galadima’s remarks suggest that the NDC held advanced talks with the Bauchi governor over a possible defection, only for the move to collapse at the final hour. Galadima offered no further detail on who advised Mohammed against the switch.
Tinubu and the Electoral Act
Galadima also turned his attention to the Electoral Act, accusing the President of designing it in a way that benefits the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the expense of smaller parties.
“The Electoral Act was designed and perfected by President Tinubu even before it was taken to the National Assembly. He’s only protecting himself and the APC and making it difficult for other parties to produce candidates,” he said.
Despite the challenges he outlined, Galadima struck a combative tone on the NDC’s prospects, adding: “Tinubu is not thinking of a contest with anybody, but we won’t allow it. Even if it’s an empty coffin, all Nigerians must come together and throw him out for the sake of this country.”
Peter Obi was ratified as the NDC’s presidential candidate on May 29, 2026, having resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) earlier that month on May 2, 2026.
Watch Buba Galadima on Bala Mohammed below via X:
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Kwankwaso receives Kano APC defectors
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the vice presidential candidate of the NDC, welcomed a group of defectors from the APC in Madobi Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano state into the party.
In a statement shared on his official X account, the former Kano state governor expressed delight over the development.
Source: Legit.ng