RismadarVoice Reporters, February 27, 2026
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, on Friday formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ending months of intense speculation over his political future.
In a 14-minute statewide broadcast from his office, Fintiri announced that he had moved to the APC alongside his entire cabinet, elected officials, party executives and supporters across the state’s 226 wards and 21 local government areas.
Shortly after the broadcast, PDP flags were dismantled at the Government House, symbolically marking the end of the party’s hold on the state’s executive arm.
Addressing the people of Adamawa, Fintiri described the decision as weighty but necessary, stressing that it was taken in the developmental interest of the state.
“Fellow citizens of Adamawa State, I address you today in this manner due to the magnitude of what we have at stake,” he said, recalling the overwhelming mandate given to him in the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections.
He maintained that the decision to leave the PDP was not driven by personal ambition or political convenience but by what he termed “the long-term stability, development and prosperity of Adamawa State.”
According to him, the move followed wide consultations with stakeholders across the state and was guided by what he described as the principles of consultation, legality and impact.
“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 to confer benefits on our state, the nation and our people,” he declared, urging supporters to register massively with the APC.
Fintiri said aligning with the ruling party at the centre would position Adamawa to effectively leverage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, social welfare, housing and inclusive economic growth.
Quoting late Senate President Chuba Okadigbo, he said, “It takes political sagacity to know political arithmetic,” describing his defection as “political geometry” and a strategic move aimed at placing Adamawa in mainstream national politics.
The Governor was subsequently registered as a member of the APC and issued membership card number 001.
Confirming the development, Chairman of the Adamawa State Commissioners’ Forum, Mr. Aloysius Babadoke, said all commissioners had followed the Governor into the APC, pledging loyalty to his leadership.
Earlier in the week, 15 of the 16 PDP members in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Bathiya Wesley, had also defected to the APC, signaling an imminent political shift in the state.
Speculation about Fintiri’s defection had intensified since 2024 after APC officials publicly acknowledged efforts to woo him. The rumours gained further traction following President Tinubu’s recent visit to Yola to commission projects.
With the latest development, Adamawa joins the growing list of states witnessing significant political realignments ahead of the next electoral cycle.
