Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, says no northerner should dream of becoming Nigeria’s president in 2027.
Fintiri, recently decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He noted that although their personal relationship remains intact, he has parted ways politically with Atiku Abubakar, the former vice-president.
Fintiri spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he addressed questions about his relationship with Atiku and the unfolding political realignments.
“Yes, I still have [a good relationship]. There’s nothing that has gone bad. It is just that everybody has taken his political ways and I am today in APC; they are in another party. But the stability of this country matters in the polity of the nation.” the governor said.
Last Friday, Fintiri announced his formal defection to the All Progressives Congress in a statewide broadcast, saying members of his cabinet and the PDP in the state had moved with him to the ruling party.
Earlier that week, 15 lawmakers of the Adamawa state house of assembly, including Bathiya Wesley, speaker of the house, and Buba Jijiwa, his deputy, had resigned from the PDP, citing the “lingering crisis” in the party.
Less than 24 hours after the governor’s defection, 22 commissioners and special advisers in the state also dumped the PDP for the APC, attributing their decision to the need to politically align with the governor.
During the Channels interview, Fintiri said his decision was guided by political considerations since he had not seen any presidential candidate formally emerged from the PDP.
“I have been a centre player in the PDP. But I’ve not seen any presidential candidate that has come out to tell me he wants to contest and I cannot remain and jeopardise my political future with rumours of people who wants to contest,” the governor said.
The governor also weighed in on the debate over zoning and the 2027 presidency, arguing that it remains the turn of the south to complete its tenure.
According to him, morality, not just constitutional provisions, should guide political actors.
“It is still the turn of the south to complete. A northerner has no business at the moment to fight for the office of the president,” he said, adding that supporting President Bola Tinubu to finish his tenure would promote national stability.
Fintiri added that Tinubu has initiated policies that are already showing signs of progress and offering hope for the country.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Adamu Abubakar, the first son of the former vice president, resigned from the governor’s cabinet for an undisclosed reason after seven years in office.
He was appointed by Fintiri as commissioner for works and energy development in October 2019, barely five months after the governor took the oath of office.
Addressing Adamu’s resignation, Fintiri said the development was meant to allow him align politically with his father.
“We excuse him. I don’t think he really wanted to resign. We excuse him out of the government so that he can pitch with his father, which is the normal thing to do,” the governor said.
The governor further reflected on his political trajectory, recalling his involvement with the APC during its formative years in 2014 amid internal crises in Adamawa PDP.
Fintiri said he later reorganised his political structure ahead of the 2019 elections, a move that culminated in the defeat of an incumbent governor.
