Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has formally announced his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a strategic decision taken in the best interest of the state and its people.

In a statewide broadcast delivered on Friday in Yola, the governor said the decision followed “wide consultations with a large spectrum of our people” and was guided by the need to align Adamawa politically with the federal government for greater development opportunities.

Fintiri, who won reelection in 2023 after first securing office in 2019, expressed gratitude to the electorate for their continued support, noting that his administration remained conscious of the “moral burden” of the mandate freely given by the people.

“We have never ventured into anything that does not grow our dear state or directly benefit our people,” he said, highlighting achievements in security, infrastructure, healthcare, education, youth and women empowerment, and the creation of new chiefdoms and districts.

The governor explained that the shift to the APC would position Adamawa to better leverage the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in key sectors such as infrastructure, housing, social welfare, and inclusive economic development.

According to him, the defection was neither driven by personal ambition nor political convenience, but by “one overriding consideration: the long-term stability, development and prosperity of Adamawa State.”

Fintiri declared that the entire political structure of his administration would move with him into the APC, including party executives across the state’s 226 wards and 21 local government areas, as well as elected and appointed officials.

“We are moving as a collective, with the required political strength and the numbers that confer value,” he stated, calling on supporters to register massively with the APC and prepare for what he described as a “guaranteed future.”

He framed the move as a strategic recalibration rather than a rupture, quoting late Senate President Chuba Okadigbo on the importance of “political sagacity” and describing the decision as “political geometry that places every number in its right place.”

The governor added that the alignment signals “an end to years of sideline politics,” asserting that Adamawa is now positioned within mainstream national politics, where it can attract greater federal collaboration and investment.

Reaffirming his administration’s development agenda, Fintiri pledged continued expansion of infrastructure, schools, and hospitals; sustained youth and women empowerment; employment generation; scholarships and bursaries; and policies aimed at strengthening unity and peaceful coexistence across the state.

“This is more than a promise. It is a sacred covenant,” he said, assuring citizens that the change in political platform would not alter his commitment to service delivery.

The defection,as observed by The Guardian, marks a significant shift in Adamawa’s political landscape and is expected to reshape party dynamics in the state ahead of future electoral cycles.