The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ending months of speculation about his political future.
Fintiri announced his defection on Friday in a 14-minute statewide broadcast from the Government House in Yola. In the address, he said he moved to the APC along with his entire cabinet, PDP officials in the state, and political supporters across all wards and local government areas.
Immediately after the broadcast, PDP flags were removed from the governor’s office and other parts of the Government House, signaling a formal end to the party’s control of the state executive arm.
In his speech, Fintiri said the decision was taken in the best interest of Adamawa State and its people.
“Fellow citizens of Adamawa State, I address you today in this manner due to the magnitude of what we have at stake,” he said. He reminded residents that they elected him in 2019 and re-elected him in 2023, despite what he described as strong opposition.
“In 2019, you voted for us overwhelmingly against an incumbent. In 2023, you repeated the same feat with even greater strength in spite of all odds,” he said.
The governor said he was aware of the responsibility placed on him by the people’s mandate. According to him, the move to the APC was not driven by personal ambition but by the need for long-term stability, development and prosperity for the state.
He explained that recent political developments in the country made it necessary for Adamawa to align with the ruling party at the federal level.
“Recent events in the polity demand that we take decisive and strategic decisions,” Fintiri said. “The decision to leave the PDP and join the APC was not taken lightly. It was guided by one overriding consideration: the long-term stability, development and prosperity of Adamawa State.”
Fintiri said the defection was not just a personal move. According to him, the entire PDP structure in Adamawa had agreed to join the APC.
“We have structures everywhere. We are moving into the APC with all the 226 wards, 21 local government areas, all elected and appointed members and indeed our energy and political machinery,” he said.
He called on his supporters to register massively in the APC and prepare for what he described as a “future that is assured.”
Confirming the development, the Chairman of the Adamawa State Commissioners’ Forum, Mr Aloysius Babadoke, told journalists that all commissioners in the state had followed the governor to the APC.
“Wherever our governor goes, we are going with him because he is a trusted leader and he has the mind to develop Adamawa State,” Babadoke said.
The governor was later registered as a member of the APC and was issued membership card number 001 in the state.
In his speech, Fintiri said the political alignment would enable Adamawa State to key into the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu, who was elected in 2023 under the APC platform, has repeatedly spoken about plans to reform the economy, improve infrastructure, boost social welfare, and promote inclusive development across Nigeria.
Fintiri said aligning with the APC would allow Adamawa to better support and benefit from federal government programmes in critical sectors such as housing, infrastructure and economic development.
“It means more opportunities for the state and more stake for our people,” the governor said. “These, for us, are the main motivations that define our calling to politics.”
Adamawa has traditionally been a stronghold of the PDP. Fintiri himself rose to prominence under the PDP platform and won the governorship election in 2019. He was re-elected in 2023 after a keenly contested race.
His defection marks a major political shift in the North-East state. It also weakens the PDP’s presence in the region and strengthens the APC’s growing influence.
The move follows earlier developments in the state House of Assembly. On Wednesday, 15 out of the 16 members elected on the PDP platform defected to the APC. The Speaker of the House, Bathiya Wesley, also joined the APC.
This means the APC now holds a dominant position in both the executive and legislative arms of government in Adamawa State.
Fintiri’s defection is likely to have implications beyond Adamawa. As a second-term governor with influence in the North-East, his move could encourage other politicians in opposition parties to reconsider their positions.
In recent months, there have been growing reports of internal disagreements within the PDP at the national level. Some party leaders have called for unity and reforms to prevent further defections.
For the APC, however, the entry of a sitting governor and his political machinery is seen as a major gain. It strengthens the party’s position ahead of future elections and consolidates its control in more states.
In his speech, Fintiri quoted former Senate President Dr Chuba Okadigbo, saying, “It takes political sagacity to know political arithmetic.” He described his action as “strategic adaptability” and “a pragmatic approach to politics.”
While reactions from the PDP national leadership were still being awaited at the time of filing this report, party supporters in Adamawa expressed mixed feelings. Some said they would follow the governor to the APC, while others said they remained loyal to the PDP.
For now, the political map of Adamawa has clearly changed. With the governor, his cabinet, and most lawmakers now in the APC, the state has effectively moved into the camp of the ruling party at the centre.
