After several weeks of speculation and mounting political tension, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Confirming the move in a statewide broadcast on Friday, the Governor revealed that his entire cabinet and a vast majority of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in the state have transitioned with him to the ruling party.
This announcement effectively ends the uncertainty surrounding Fintiri’s political trajectory.
The groundwork for the move was laid earlier in the week when 15 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Bathiya Wesley and Deputy Speaker Buba Jidjiwa, resigned from the PDP.
The lawmakers cited the “lingering crisis” within the PDP as the primary motivation for their exit, signaling a total collapse of the opposition’s grip on the state.
Fintiri’s defection marks a historic low for the main opposition party. With Adamawa now firmly in the APC column, the PDP is left with only three governors across Nigeria’s 36 states, drastically reshaping the country’s political landscape ahead of the next general election cycle.
These PDP governors, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, now stand as the final executive pillars of a party that once controlled the vast majority of Nigeria’s 36 states.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has admitted deep regret over his role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, stating that Nigeria’s condition has deteriorated far beyond the challenges that first prompted the party’s creation.
Speaking on Thursday at a press briefing in Abuja, the ADC chieftain reflected on the 2015 coalition that brought together various political actors to challenge the administration of then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Atiku recalled that the movement was originally driven by a shared belief that Nigeria’s democracy was faltering, with insecurity and economic instability serving as the primary catalysts for the alliance.
However, looking back more than a decade later, he argued that the very issues they sought to correct have only intensified under the APC’s leadership.
He emphasized that the current state of the nation should serve as a cautionary tale for those navigating the ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing a room filled with prominent opposition figures, Atiku warned that any new coalition must be far more deliberate and principled than its predecessors.