Fintiri dumps PDP for APC, moves entire Adamawa political structure to ruling party

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State on Friday formally resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party and declared for the All Progressives Congress, ending months of political speculation about his next move.

In a 14-minute statewide broadcast delivered from his new office, the governor confirmed that he defected alongside his entire cabinet and all PDP officials in the state, describing the move as one taken purely in the developmental interest of Adamawa.

Moments after the address, PDP flags were taken down within the governor’s office and across the Government House, symbolising the official transition.

Addressing residents, Fintiri said, “Fellow citizens of Adamawa State, I address you today in this manner due to the magnitude of what we have at stake, the regard we have for you and the consistent support we have always enjoyed from you.

“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. We have remained popular in your hearts, and so has our party, the PDP. We are conscious of the moral burden imposed on our shoulders by your collective mandate.”

Explaining the scale of the political shift, the governor declared that the entire PDP structure in the state would now move into the APC.

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“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 to confer benefits on our state, the nation and our people. I therefore call on all our supporters to fit in, register massively in the APC and gear up for a future that is assured.”

He said the decision followed careful reflection on recent political developments across the country.

“Recent events in the polity demand that we take decisive and strategic decisions. There are seasons for political exigencies just as there are seasons for political expedience. We have come this far and built so much with the people that we are ready to move further to align our polity with national politics.

“It is on this basis that we have never, as a government, ventured into anything that does not grow our dear state or directly benefit our people. We have always been guided by the triple principles of consultation, legality and impact.

“As democrats, we consult with the people. As citizens, we interrogate how every decision we make aligns with extant laws; and as leaders, we weigh the impact of every decision on the state and our people.

“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.”

Fintiri further disclosed that after extensive consultations across the state, “we have resolved to politically align Adamawa State with the All Progressives Congress.”

According to him, the new alignment would position Adamawa to fully key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he said is focused on transformation in social welfare, infrastructure, housing and inclusive economic development.

Invoking the words of the late former Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo, Fintiri said, “It was the late Senate President, Dr Chuba Okadigbo, who once said, ‘It takes political sagacity to know political arithmetic.’ In our case, we have been long enough in this game to know the value of our strength and the right steps to take. This isn’t elementary arithmetic; it is political geometry that places every number in its right place.

“In ideal democracies, alignments that confer mutual advantages are constant norms. Our alignment with the APC is a testament to strategic adaptability. It is sagacity in action. This is a reciprocally beneficial decision that reflects a pragmatic approach to politics — conferring electoral value while delivering democratic dividends to the people,” he stated.

He added that the move signalled the end of what he described as years of sideline politics for the state.

His defection, he said, means Adamawa is returning to mainstream national politics, “a politics that will benefit it more than ever before. It means more opportunities for the state and more stake for our people. These, for us, are the main motivations that define our calling to politics.”

Reacting to the development, the Adamawa State Chairman of the Commissioners’ Forum, Mr Aloysius Babadoke, confirmed that all commissioners had followed the governor into 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 and unite the people through his people-oriented policies,” he said.

Fintiri was subsequently registered in the APC and issued membership card number 001.

The defection follows earlier cracks within the state PDP caucus. On Wednesday, 15 of the 16 members elected into the Adamawa State House of Assembly on the PDP platform, including the Speaker, Bathiya Wesley, defected to the APC.

Speculation about the governor’s possible switch had been circulating since 2024, when the Adamawa APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, disclosed in an interview that the party was making overtures to him.

The rumours intensified further after President Tinubu visited the state earlier this month to commission projects in Yola, fuelling expectations of a major political realignment that has now materialised.

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