Adamu Atiku rejects Fintiri defection to APC, remaining in PDP as Adamawa political tensions deepen following the governor’s switch

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s son and Adamawa State Commissioner for Works and Energy Development, Adamu Atiku, on Friday declined to follow Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to the All Progressives Congress, deepening political divisions triggered by the governor’s dramatic defection from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Also read: Atiku’s Son Abba jins APC, backs Tinubu 2027

Governor Fintiri formally announced his move to the ruling APC during a statewide broadcast, confirming weeks of speculation surrounding his political future.

The governor defected alongside 22 of the 24 commissioners serving in his cabinet in what observers described as a decisive realignment of political forces in Adamawa State.

However, Adamu Atiku and the Commissioner for Livestock, Maksha Atiku, were notably absent at the Government House during the announcement ceremony.

Official documents released after the broadcast, containing handwritten names and signatures of commissioners who joined the governor in the APC, did not include either official, reinforcing reports that both men chose to remain within the PDP structure.

A serving commissioner, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Adamu Atiku rejected Fintiri’s defection largely because of loyalty to his father’s political position.

The source noted that another son of the former Vice President, Abba Atiku, had recently joined the APC, making a similar move by Adamu politically delicate given Atiku Abubakar’s continued alignment with the African Democratic Congress.

According to the commissioner, such a decision could have raised serious questions about the former Vice President’s political influence and standing within opposition politics.

The source added that Maksha Atiku, regarded as a strong supporter of Atiku Abubakar, also opted to remain loyal to his political leader rather than follow the governor’s new affiliation.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by former Minister Tanimu Turaki, issued a strongly worded condemnation of Governor Fintiri’s defection, describing the move as an act of cowardice that threatens Nigeria’s multi-party democratic system.

In a statement released on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the governor’s departure from a platform that supported his electoral victories reflected political expediency rather than principled leadership.

The party acknowledged that the governor possessed the constitutional right to change political parties but argued that abandoning the PDP over what it described as minor political disagreements undermined democratic consolidation.

The statement further warned that history and posterity would ultimately judge political actors based on their decisions and commitments.

Despite the sharp criticism, the PDP urged its members and supporters in Adamawa State to remain calm and accept what it termed a sad but defining political development.

Also read: Atiku’s son Abubakar Atiku Abubakar makes bold defection to APC

Political analysts say the unfolding situation highlights growing tensions within opposition ranks ahead of future electoral contests, as loyalty, succession politics and party survival increasingly shape Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.