Mass Defection to APC as Adamawa Governor, Officials Follow Suit
A significant political shift occurred in Adamawa State on Friday, as Governor Ahmadu Fintiri formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), triggering a cascade of defections among key state officials.
Following the governor’s statewide broadcast, his entire cabinet of commissioners resigned from the PDP minutes later. The exodus expanded as thirty-nine special advisers, representing the governor’s entire advisory team, also quit the PDP. Their announcement was made through the Special Advisers Forum, chaired by Bala Buba Jada, the governor’s Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs. Jada stated the decision was taken in the overriding interest of Adamawa State, citing prolonged internal disputes and litigation within the PDP at the national level as the primary reason. “Remaining in the PDP created uncertainty capable of affecting governance,” he said. “Accordingly, and in the interest of safeguarding Adamawa’s strategic position within the federation, we have collectively resigned our membership of the PDP with immediate effect and have joined the APC.”
In a show of solidarity, fourteen of the state’s twenty-one local government chairmen also defected to the APC. Sulaiman Gangkuba, Chairman of the Association of Local Government Chairmen (ALGON) and head of Toungo Local Government, confirmed the move followed extensive consultations among the chairmen. He praised the “giant strides” under Governor Fintiri’s leadership. The defecting chairmen represent Toungo, Ganye, Mayo Belwa, Numan, Shelleng, Lamurde, Guyuk, Yola South, Fufore, Hong, Maiha, Mubi South, and Madagali.
Gangkuba noted that seven council chairmen—from Yola North, Mubi North, Demsa, Michika, Gombi, Song, and Girei—are “still consulting” on their political future.
This coordinated defection of the state’s executive and local government leadership represents a major realignment ahead of the 2027 general election cycle, consolidating the APC’s position in Adamawa. The move underscores the impact of national party instability on state-level politics and leaves the PDP with a significantly diminished official presence in the state. The final decisions of the seven undecided local government chairmen will further shape the new political landscape.
