The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted sharply to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s decision to leave the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC), warning him that history will not forget his actions.
In a statement released on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, confirmed the governor’s departure but did not hold back in criticising how it happened. The reaction came shortly after Fintiri announced his defection in a statewide broadcast.
Governor Fintiri officially dumped the PDP on Friday morning, and he did not leave alone. In his broadcast, the governor revealed that his decision includes all 226 ward structures, all 21 local government areas, and both elected and appointed party officials who were previously under the PDP banner. This means the entire PDP machinery in Adamawa State has now moved to the ruling APC.
Fintiri described the move as a “political alignment” rather than a personal defection, saying it followed extensive consultations with leaders across the state. He explained that the decision was strategic, aimed at helping Adamawa benefit more from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. According to him, aligning with the APC will position the state to access more federal support for infrastructure, housing, and economic development.
“Wherever we go from here, we go together, with the political strength and structures to add value,” Fintiri told his supporters, urging them to register with the APC.
The PDP’s Response
The PDP’s response was blunt, especially regarding the governor’s recent denials that he was planning to leave. The party noted that the move had been long speculated, but Fintiri had repeatedly dismissed it, even as recently as last week after the President’s visit to Adamawa.
While acknowledging that the governor has the legal right to change parties, the PDP argued that his actions violate political principles and morality.
“For a person to abandon a platform that provided political coverage for him, across many election cycles at the sight of slight discomfort, is unambiguously an exhibition of unrestrained cowardice, and not a mark of a principled politician,” the statement read.
The party described the defection as a challenge to multi-party democracy and democratic consolidation.
In a direct message to the governor, the PDP added: “As we bid Governor Fintiri farewell, we remind him that history and posterity are the ultimate and unbiased judges of human conduct and are actively recording the actions and inactions of people.”
Message to Adamawa Members
With the governor taking the entire party structure with him, the PDP’s presence in Adamawa has been significantly weakened. In response, the party urged its remaining members in the state to accept the situation with grace.
The party described this as a true test of character and encouraged members to stay hopeful. “They should remain resolute in the hope that the rebirth movement of our party is on course and will certainly reposition our party back to winning ways,” Ememobong added.
Fintiri’s defection is one of the biggest political moves in Adamawa State in recent years. It gives the APC full control of the state’s political structure while leaving the PDP with the task of rebuilding from scratch.
Discussion about this post