Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, has denied reports suggesting he is considering the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for defection.

The rebuttal came amid a wave of high-profile defections rocking the PDP, including those of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to the Accord Party on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, the governor described as mischievous and entirely false a claim credited to the PRP Publicity Secretary in Bauchi that he was not welcomed in the party.

Gidado said the allegation was nothing more than “the ramblings of an attention-seeker desperate for relevance,” but noted that responding became necessary to avoid giving room for misinterpretation.

He stressed that Governor Mohammed has never contemplated leaving the PDP, let alone engaging in any discussion or initiative to join the PRP.

He said instead, the governor has been central to efforts aimed at stabilising the PDP amid the “contrived crises orchestrated by forces determined to weaken multiparty democracy in Nigeria.”

The statement highlighted Mohammed’s political strength and leadership capacity, citing his repeated electoral victories over the PRP in Bauchi State as proof of his enduring popularity and effective governance.

Bauchi State, it noted, has continued to witness progress in infrastructure, empowerment, rural development and institutional reforms under Mohammed’s administration.

According to Gidado, the PRP’s criticism of ongoing reforms, such as restructuring traditional institutions and devolving powers, reflects the party’s disconnect from progressive governance.

Gidado said no amount of political misinformation would distract Governor Mohammed from his commitment to Bauchi’s development.

He added that while the governor has the constitutional right to determine his political future, any such decision would never be influenced by “falsehood, malice or the machinations of political turncoats.”