By Nasir Yakub
As time races toward May 29, 2027, when Bala Mohammed exits office, uncertainty has become the loudest voice in his political camp.
Those around him who harbour ambitions for governorship, National Assembly seats, state assembly positions, or other elective offices may be heading into avoidable doom — not because they lack aspiration, capacity or relevance — but because they remain tied to a leader who now appears politically unattached, operating like a freelance politician with no clear party destination.
The questions are no longer minor. They are urgent.
Will they remain in an “alive but dead” Peoples Democratic Party, a platform steadily losing strength, structure and national momentum?
Will they gamble on the emerging African Democratic Congress and hope it grows fast enough into a serious electoral vehicle before the race fully begins?
Or will they attempt the near-impossible route into the ruling All Progressives Congress, where tickets are neither cheap, automatic, nor freely handed to late arrivals?
These are not ordinary questions. They are questions of political survival.
As for Bala himself, the road ahead appears just as uncertain.
Does he remain in PDP and risk sinking with a weakened structure?
Does he seek refuge in APC, where political realignment may offer renewed relevance, stronger federal connections, and breathing space against looming anti-corruption scrutiny?
Or does he move into ADC, positioning himself as a heavyweight opposition figure ready for a fresh national bargaining table?
Every option carries gain. Every option carries danger. But delay now carries the highest danger of all.
Politics rewards movement, not hesitation.
While some are still waiting for signals, others are already building structures. While some remain loyal in silence, rivals are already negotiating alliances. While some hope for last-minute direction, others are quietly securing delegates, mobilising resources, and planting their flags ward by ward.
That is how elections are won long before voting day.
Those waiting endlessly around Bala should understand one hard truth: loyalty without direction can become political self-sabotage.
Aspirants need time. Structures need nurturing. Supporters need certainty. Defections need timing. Campaigns need preparation. None of these things flourish in confusion.
The tragedy ahead may not be that Bala loses influence. The real tragedy may be that many around him lose opportunities simply because they waited too long for one man to decide.
Time waits for no one.
And the earlier Bala chooses a road, the better for those whose futures still hang on his next move.
Because when the final whistle sounds, excuses will not be on the ballot.
Nasir Yakub writes from Bauchi State Nigeria and can be reached via nasiryakub990@gmail.com.