From Umar Dankano, Yola
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has stated that his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was not intended to dislodge anyone, but to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Fintiri made this known during a stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday in Yola, where key political figures from the ruling APC and Fintiri’s political bloc met to consolidate the future of the newly enlarged APC in the state.
Recall that Fintiri recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC, along with his political structure and government machinery.
Fintiri said that the coming together of leaders from both sides would further strengthen the APC in Adamawa and ensure an overwhelming victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
He commended President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their support in ensuring what he described as a seamless defection process. The governor also called on APC members to warmly receive the new entrants and assured them of his loyalty and submission to the party leadership.
Fintiri reiterated that his defection marks the beginning of a new political chapter in Adamawa, stressing that the move was not driven by personal ambition but by the need to consolidate peace, stability, and development in the state.
He urged former PDP members to integrate into the APC with discipline and maturity, emphasizing the importance of loyalty, unity, and purposeful leadership. He further called for grassroots meetings across the state to strengthen the new political alignment.
The governor announced that he and his followers are henceforth loyal and submissive to the party at both state and national levels, urging all members to maintain cordial relationships for effective leadership in the state.
“And for the doubting Thomases, we are not in the APC to dislodge anybody but rather to strengthen the party solidly.
We are not defecting but realigning the political arena of our cherished state for cohesion and coherence in the interest of our people.
So, let’s work as a family because the PDP structure has collapsed in Adamawa, and I thank them for believing in me. We are all loyal to the leadership of the APC Chairman, Barrister Idris Shuaibu.
What is important to us is to work so that Adamawa will progress in all ramifications.
We will continue to deliver the services expected by the people so that we can grow stronger. Our ratings by international organizations have placed us among the top-performing states in the country, and this was made possible by the support of our people,” Fintiri maintained.
Also speaking, the APC Zonal National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustafa Salihu, described the gathering as significant for Adamawa politics and commended the governor for moving his political structure into the APC.
Comrade Salihu welcomed the governor into the party, stressing that any politician unhappy with Fintiri’s defection does not have the love of Adamawa State at heart.
“We as a party are happy with your decision to join the ruling APC and to collapse your political structure into the party,” he stated.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar, described the meeting as momentous, expressing confidence that Adamawa has the capacity to deliver victory for the APC in future elections.
The State APC Chairman, Barrister Idris Shuaibu, appreciated Governor Fintiri and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for ensuring a smooth transition and assured the governor of the party’s loyalty and support.
In a goodwill message, the former PDP State Chairman, Alhaji Hamza Bello Madagali, announced that the PDP structure in the state had been fully integrated into the APC, including executives from the state to ward levels.