Breaking: Adamawa Governor Defects to APC in North-East Realignment
Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Governor of Adamawa State, formalised his long-rumoured exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday. In a statewide broadcast, Fintiri announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), carrying with him his entire cabinet and the state’s PDP leadership. He framed the move as a strategic choice for the “developmental interest” of Adamawa. This migration effectively wipes out the PDP’s executive presence in the state. It also leaves the opposition party with only one governorship in the North-East region.
The defection follows a carefully choreographed week of political theater in Yola. Last Saturday, Fintiri hosted APC national and zonal leaders for an Iftar ceremony at the Government House. While he initially described the dinner as an exercise in “cross-party harmony,” observers noted the absence of PDP colours. The groundwork was further laid on Wednesday when Speaker Bathiya Wesley and 14 other lawmakers resigned from the PDP. Their exit letters cited a “national crisis” within their former party, but their loyalty to Fintiri was the true driver.
The Governor’s move is part of a broader trend of “governor-led” migrations into the ruling party ahead of 2027. Fintiri joins Taraba’s Agbu Kefas and Plateau’s Caleb Mutfwang, who have also made the jump to the APC in recent months. President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Adamawa to commission infrastructure projects appears to have been the final catalyst. During that visit, the President lauded Fintiri’s “transformative” impact, a traditional precursor to a formal invitation into the fold. For the APC, acquiring a governor with a strong performance record is a significant trophy.
Political analysts suggest the defection is as much about survival as it is about development. By aligning with the centre, Fintiri harmonises his local administration with federal power, specifically the influence of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. This elite consensus aims to present a unified front in a state often prone to sharp political divisions. However, the move has not been universally welcomed within the APC. Some local factions worry that a mass influx of PDP officials will displace long-standing party loyalists.
The PDP’s national secretariat now faces a daunting task in Adamawa. With 15 of 25 lawmakers and the executive branch gone, the party’s structure in the state is in tatters. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the state’s most famous political son, finds his home base suddenly under the control of the APC. This shift significantly alters the electoral math for the next general election. The “broom” has effectively swept the Government House clean of the umbrella.
As the dust settles, the focus will turn to the Adamawa State House of Assembly. A special session is expected to formalise the new party affiliations and potentially reconfigure the leadership. For the residents of Adamawa, the governor promises that this realignment will bring more federal attention and resources. Whether this elite migration translates into better governance or merely a reshuffled power deck remains the central question. For now, the APC’s footprint in the North-East is larger than ever.