Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed on Thursday described himself as a “freelance politician,” following the leadership crisis and legal stalemate in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mohammed stated this after a closed-door meeting with a former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at Ramat House in Bauchi, where both leaders held discussions, seen as part of ongoing consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Neither PDP nor ADC is standing alone. I am a freelance politician now, and his party is also in limbo. We are looking up to the judiciary. But certainly, we are all in the opposition,” the governor said.

“That is why I said it is a political discussion, and I will not let you know what we discussed in terms of the Is and Ts that we have crossed. But certainly, it is about realignment, alignment, and cooperation so that we can have a platform. We cannot go without a platform,” he added.

Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in 2023 but is now in the African Democratic Congress, led a delegation of South-East political figures, including Senator Ben Obi, former Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa, senators Enyinnaya Abaribe and Victor Umeh, and Udenta Udenta.

Speaking after the meeting, the former Anambra State governor said the visit was focused on building national unity and strengthening cooperation across regions.

“My purpose is to solicit the support and cooperation of His Excellency and the stakeholders of Bauchi and the North-East in our quest to unite this country. We want to have a united country to build a future for our children.

“The country cannot continue the way it is today; we are headed in the wrong direction, and we need to reverse that for everybody. That is the simple purpose of why we are here—to seek the support of the stakeholders of Bauchi in building a new Nigeria that will be of benefit to all,” he added.

While details of the meeting were not disclosed, both leaders confirmed that discussions centred on cooperation among opposition figures.

This is not the first engagement between the two politicians.

In August 2025, Mohammed also hosted Obi in Bauchi and invited him to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP and the ADC are currently dealing with internal legal matters, with the Supreme Court of Nigeria yet to deliver rulings in key cases affecting both parties. (Channels News)

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