Adamawa Political Shake-Up: 21 Council Chairmen, 226 Councillors Dump PDP for APC

YOLA, Adamawa State — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered a major political setback in Adamawa State as all 21 elected local government chairmen and 226 councillors have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The mass defection, which became public on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, followed the submission of resignation letters by the council chairmen to their respective PDP ward chairpersons.

The development comes months after Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri left the PDP for the APC, triggering a political realignment across the state.

The Adamawa State APC Publicity Secretary, Victor Dogo, confirmed the defections, saying all 21 local government chairmen, area development administrators and 226 councillors had joined the ruling party.

According to Dogo, the council officials decided to align with Fintiri, whom he described as their political benefactor.

He said the defectors believed they could better align their political activities with the governor by joining the same party.

Several council chairmen explained their decisions in resignation letters dated Monday, October 19, 2026, citing personal considerations and consultations with their families, political associates and other stakeholders.

The chairman of Yola North Local Government Area, Jibril Jimeta, said he had decided to pursue a different political path, while expressing appreciation to the PDP for the opportunities and relationships he developed during his membership of the party.

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The Maiha Local Government chairman, Tijani Atiku, and his Mubi North counterpart, Musa Hassan, also submitted letters announcing their departure from the opposition party.

Similarly, the chairman of Demsa Local Government Area, Akham Jalo, said his decision followed consultations with his family, political associates, stakeholders and residents of his council.

Jalo said he joined the APC to align with Fintiri’s political direction and attract more development to Demsa.

The defections have strengthened the APC’s presence across Adamawa’s 21 local government areas, further reshaping the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The development had been anticipated after Fintiri defected from the PDP on February 27, 2026. However, the newly elected council officials had contested the June 2026 local government elections on the PDP platform after securing the party’s tickets before the governor’s departure.

The PDP had won the chairmanship positions across all 21 local government areas in the election, which was conducted by the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission.

The party had previously dismissed speculation that the newly elected officials would abandon it following Fintiri’s defection.

Reacting to the latest development, the PDP leadership in Adamawa played down its implications for the party’s electoral prospects.

The party’s governorship candidate, Maurice Vunobolki, had earlier argued that the departure of council chairmen would not necessarily determine the outcome of the 2027 governorship election, insisting that voters, rather than elected council officials, would decide the winner.

The PDP’s state leadership also expressed confidence that the party could regain the governorship despite the defections.

The mass movement represents a significant shift in Adamawa politics, placing the APC and Fintiri at the centre of a new political alignment while leaving the PDP to reorganise ahead of the next electoral contest.