The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Friday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, bringing to an end months of speculation over his political future.
In a 14-minute statewide broadcast from his new governor’s office, the governor announced that he had decamped with his entire cabinet and all PDP officials, stating that his decision was in the developmental interest of the people of Adamawa State.
Immediately after the broadcast, Peoples Democratic Party flags were dismantled in the governor’s office and across the Government House.
He 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.”
The governor said the decision to join the APC with his entire cabinet, PDP officials and supporters was in the best developmental interest of the people of Adamawa State.
“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.”
“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 wide consultations with a broad spectrum of Adamawa people, “we have resolved to politically align Adamawa State with the All Progressives Congress.”
The governor said the political alignment would enable Adamawa State to effectively support and leverage the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which, according to him, aims to transform the nation in critical sectors, including social welfare, infrastructure, housing and inclusive economic development.
“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.
Fintiri said his decision to join the APC meant the years of sideline politics were over and that Adamawa State was back in mainstream 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.”
Speaking to journalists, the Adamawa State chairman of the Commissioners’ Forum, Mr Aloysius Babadoke, said all the commissioners had joined the APC in the state.
“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.
The governor was registered in the APC with membership card number 001.
As a prelude to the governor’s defection, 15 out of the 16 elected members on the PDP platform in the state House of Assembly on Wednesday defected to the APC along with the Speaker, Bathiya Wesley.
The rumours of Fintiri’s defection began in 2024 when the Adamawa State APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, granted an exclusive interview to Punch and confirmed that the party was wooing the governor to join the APC.
The rumours gained momentum when President Bola Tinubu visited the state this month to commission projects in Yola.
