Ahmadu Fintiri defends his APC defection, citing 2027 zoning and concerns over his political future within the PDP
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on Tuesday defended his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress, stating in Abuja that uncertainty within his former party ahead of the 2027 presidential election influenced the move.
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Governor Fintiri, speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said no member of the PDP had formally indicated interest in contesting the presidency, creating what he described as a troubling vacuum.
Ahmadu Fintiri’s APC defection, he said, was driven by political clarity and long term calculation rather than personal conflict.
The governor insisted that remaining in a party without defined direction could jeopardise his political future.
“I have been a central player in this party, my former party, PDP. I have not seen any candidate in the party that has come out to tell me he wants to contest and I cannot remain and jeopardise my political future,” Governor Fintiri stated.
The governor further argued that the presidency in 2027 should remain in the southern region, declaring that a northerner had no business seeking the office at this time.
“It is the turn of the south,” he said, underlining the zoning principle that continues to shape Nigeria’s political discourse.
Governor Fintiri also dismissed suggestions of strained relations with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, maintaining that their relationship remains cordial despite belonging to different political parties.
“There is nothing that has gone bad. It is just that everybody has taken their political ways,” he added.
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The decision marks a significant shift in Adamawa’s political landscape and adds fresh momentum to realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
