Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ending months of speculation surrounding his political future.
The announcement was made on Friday during a 14-minute statewide broadcast from his new office, where the governor disclosed that he moved to the APC alongside his entire cabinet, PDP officials, and political structure across the state.
Shortly after the address, PDP flags were removed from the Government House and the governor’s office, symbolizing the official transition.
Addressing residents, Fintiri acknowledged the electoral support he had enjoyed since 2019 and 2023, describing his mandate as a moral burden that informed his decision.
“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 decision to leave the PDP and join the APC was not taken lightly. It was not driven by personal ambition nor by convenience. It was guided by one overriding consideration: the long-term stability, development and prosperity of Adamawa State.”
The governor stated that all 226 wards and 21 local government areas, along with elected and appointed officials, would move into the APC structure, urging supporters to register massively with the ruling party.
According to him, the political realignment would position Adamawa to better align with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, social welfare, housing, and inclusive economic growth.
Fintiri said the move followed extensive consultations with stakeholders across the state and described it as a strategic step to return Adamawa to what he called “mainstream politics.”
“In ideal democracies, alignments that confer mutual advantages are constant norms,” he noted, adding that the defection reflected “strategic adaptability” aimed at delivering democratic dividends.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of the Adamawa State Commissioners’ Forum, Mr. Aloysius Babadoke, told journalists that all commissioners had joined the APC in solidarity with the governor.
“Wherever our governor goes, we are going with him because he is a trusted leader and he has the mind to develop Adamawa State,” he said.
Fintiri was subsequently registered as a member of the APC and issued membership card number 001.
The defection follows a similar move earlier in the week by 15 out of 16 PDP members in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, including Speaker Bathiya Wesley, who also crossed over to the APC.
Speculation about the governor’s possible defection first emerged in 2024 after the state APC leadership confirmed it was courting him. The rumors intensified following a recent visit by President Tinubu to Yola, where he commissioned projects in the state.
