Fintiri’s APC move a major setback for Atiku, says Presidency

The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, has described Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a significant political shift in the state.

Fintiri announced his decision to join the APC on Friday morning during a 14-minute statewide broadcast from his new governor’s office, Business reported. He revealed that he had decamped along with his entire cabinet and all PDP officials, explaining that the move was in the “developmental interest” of the people of Adamawa State.

Immediately after the broadcast, PDP flags were removed from the governor’s office and across the Government House.

In a post on X, Onanuga hailed the defection as a major gain for the ruling party and a setback for former vice president and prominent opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar.

“Big blow for Atiku in Adamawa: Fintiri joins APC, making Tinubu’s party a juggernaut in the state,” he said, adding that the move “takes away Abubakar Atiku’s entire home base to President Tinubu’s party.”

Onanuga also linked the development to the political outlook ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“With the presidential election less than a year away, Fintiri’s defection is surely a big blow to veteran presidential runner Atiku Abubakar. If a politician is not so popular at home, he has no business selling his candidacy to outsiders. The time is nigh for Atiku to consider retiring from politics and going to his second home in Dubai,” he concluded.