Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, on Friday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a major political realignment in the state.
Fintiri announced his defection in a state broadcast, saying the decision was taken after wide consultations and in the overriding interest of Adamawa people.
The governor said he moved to the APC alongside members of his cabinet, political appointees and all elected local government chairmen, describing the development as a collective and strategic decision.
According to him, the move was driven by the need to strengthen alignment with the Federal Government to accelerate development and enhance national unity.
He said closer synergy with the centre would boost access to federal interventions and fast-track key infrastructure and social investment programmes across the state.
Fintiri assured residents that governance would continue seamlessly, with no disruption to ongoing projects and policies.
The development came days after the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Wesley Bathiya, resigned his membership of the PDP alongside 14 other lawmakers.
Bathiya announced their resignation during plenary, presenting and reading letters of withdrawal from the affected lawmakers after the day’s legislative proceedings.
One of the defecting members, Mahmud Kallamu, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, described the move as strategic and in the best interest of their constituents.
An APC lawmaker, who spoke on the sidelines, said the party would welcome the defectors should they formally declare for it, adding that the development signals a significant shift in Adamawa’s political landscape.
