Ahmadu Fintiri, the governor of Adamawa State, ended months of speculation about his political future on Friday when he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Decamping with his whole cabinet and other PDP officials, the governor declared in a 14-minute statewide broadcast from his new governor’s office that his move was in the best interests of Adamawa State’s development.
People’s Democratic Party banners were taken down in the governor’s office and across Government House right after the broadcast.
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.”
Fintiri noted that 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 also revealed that after wide consultations with a broad spectrum of Adamawa people, “we have resolved to politically align Adamawa State with the All Progressives Congress.”
According to the governor, the political alignment would allow Adamawa State to effectively support and leverage President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to transform the country in key areas like housing, infrastructure, social welfare, 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 in this game long enough 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 mentioned that 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.”
Addressing the press, 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’s APC membership card number was 001.
In anticipation of the governor’s departure, Speaker Bathiya Wesley and 15 of the 16 elected PDP members in the state House of Assembly defected to the APC on Wednesday.
When Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, the Adamawa State APC Publicity Secretary, gave Punch an exclusive interview in 2024 and acknowledged that the party was courting the governor to join the APC, the rumors of Fintiri’s defection started.
