UPDATED: Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Dumps Party, Joins All Progressives Congress
Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on Friday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, ending months of speculation over his political future. In a 14-minute statewide broadcast, the governor announced that he had moved to the APC with his entire cabinet and party structure across the state.
Immediately after the announcement, PDP flags were removed from the Government House. Fintiri said the decision followed wide consultations and was taken in the developmental interest of Adamawa State, stressing that it was not driven by personal ambition but by what he described as long-term stability and prosperity for the state.
He said the political alignment would position Adamawa to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that the move would return the state to what he called mainstream politics. According to him, joining the APC would open more opportunities and strengthen Adamawa’s stake at the national level.
Fintiri disclosed that all 226 wards and 21 local government areas of the state would move with him into the APC, alongside elected and appointed officials. He called on supporters to register massively with the ruling party. The governor was subsequently registered as a member of the APC with membership card number 001.
Speaking after the defection, the Chairman of the Adamawa State Commissioners’ Forum, Aloysius Babadoke, confirmed that all commissioners had joined the APC, pledging loyalty to the governor’s leadership.
The development follows Wednesday’s defection of 15 out of 16 PDP members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Bathiya Wesley, to the APC. Speculation about Fintiri’s move had intensified since 2024 and gained further momentum after President Tinubu’s recent visit to Yola to commission projects.