A pro-PDP advocacy group, Bala Agents’ Mandate, has urged former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and rally behind Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State to build a stronger, more unified opposition.
Speaking during a press conference held in Port Harcourt on Monday, the State Coordinator of the group, Amadi Chijioke, warned against the formation of a new opposition coalition.
He argued that such moves could derail efforts to restore democratic governance in Nigeria.
“I strongly believe in the leadership of Bala Mohammed to lead the PDP to glory. I don’t think there is any need to bring Atiku Abubakar and others together to form a new coalition. I believe they should come back home, PDP is home.
“The likes of Peter Obi, the likes of Chibuike Amaechi, I am expecting these men to return and join Bala Mohammed in rebuilding the PDP, because right now, he is appearing alone in the system,” Chijioke said.
The National Coordinator of the group, Habib Musa, also lent his voice to the appeal, praising the Bala Mohammed-led PDP Governors’ Forum for its resilience and cohesion in the face of rising political instability.
According to him, the Forum has become the most dependable pillar keeping the PDP intact and remains a symbol of “unity and accountability.”
Reacting to the recent defections of the Delta and Akwa Ibom State governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Musa criticized the move, describing it as politically opportunistic rather than principled.
“The defection of two governors from our party has been touted as a significant blow. But let us be clear: these defections were not driven by ideology or principle, but by fear and opportunism,” he stated.
“We assure the good people of those states that the PDP remains a formidable force, and we will soon reclaim the governments of those states through the ballot box.”
He also condemned what he described as the suppression of democratic institutions in Rivers State and attempts to shut down the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, blaming the federal government for allegedly using state machinery to silence opposition voices.
In a pointed message to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Musa urged him to reconcile with Governor Bala Mohammed and contribute to the unity and rebuilding of the PDP, despite his current affiliation with the APC-led federal government.
As the nation marked 26 years of democratic rule, a member of the group, identified as Ibrahim, stressed the urgent need for a renewed commitment to democratic values and governance based on accountability.
