Atiku’s Son Adamu Declines Joining Fintiri To APC, Cite Political Independence

By Paul Joseph

In a dramatic twist following the mass defection of top officials in Adamawa State, the Commissioner for Works, Adamu Atiku Abubakar, has opted not to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri leading 22 commissioners from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the ruling party.

Adamu, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, was conspicuously absent from the official list of cabinet members who stood alongside Governor Fintiri during the defection announcement, a move that has since sparked intense political speculation within the state and beyond.

Sources close to the Government House suggest that Adamu made a calculated decision to distance himself from the governor’s political realignment, choosing instead to maintain his ideological and political roots.

While he has not issued a formal public statement, insiders describe his stance as “principled and deliberate.”

His decision is particularly significant given his position as one of the strongest and most visible cabinet members in Fintiri’s administration.

As Commissioner for Works, Adamu has overseen major infrastructure projects across Adamawa, earning recognition for administrative discipline and execution capacity.

Political observers interpret the move through multiple lenses.

For some, it reflects loyalty to the PDP, the platform long associated with his father’s political career.

For others, it signals Adamu’s intention to chart an independent political identity separate from both his boss and the shifting alliances within the state.

The governor’s defection to the APC was widely viewed as a strategic recalibration ahead of future political contests.

However, Adamu’s refusal to follow suit introduces a new layer of complexity into Adamawa’s political landscape, potentially setting the stage for intra-elite recalculations.

With Governor Fintiri consolidating his new political base within the APC, attention now turns to whether Adamu Atiku Abubakar will retain his commissioner position or eventually step aside. His continued presence in the cabinet, despite the party divide, could test the dynamics of loyalty and governance in the state.

As Adamawa’s political terrain shifts, one thing is clear: Adamu Atiku Abubakar has chosen a different path one that may redefine both his political future and the balance of power in the state.