Tinubu’s Adamawa visit reignites Fintiri’s defection rumours

President Bola Tinubu will on Monday pay a one-day official visit to Adamawa State, where he is scheduled to inaugurate major infrastructure projects and hold meetings with political leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

This comes as the state capital, Yola, witnessed a visible surge in All Progressives Congress branding and renewed speculation over Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s political future.

The visit, coming less than 48 hours after the President’s trip to Kebbi State, was announced on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement titled “President Tinubu to visit Yola, interact with leaders, inaugurate completed projects.”

Projects billed for inauguration in the state capital, Yola, and in Jimeta included the eight-lane Galadima Aminu Road linking Gimba with the capital, and a model school comprising pre-primary, primary, and junior secondary classes.

Others were a new multipurpose hall, a remodelled high court, a newly built officers’ complex, and the renovated Government House.

Ahead of the visit, major streets in Yola have been dominated by APC flags and billboards, with several Peoples Democratic Party insignia reportedly removed, fuelling speculation of an imminent defection by Fintiri from the PDP to the APC.

On the Yola International Airport Road, PDP billboards and flags were conspicuously replaced with those of the APC.

During a visit by our correspondent to major streets in the state capital, workers were seen hurriedly painting road kerbs in black and white to give the city a facelift.

Heavily armed security personnel were also deployed to strategic locations, with armoured vehicles positioned to provide watertight security for the Monday visit.

APC officials in the state and at the national level have publicly acknowledged ongoing talks with the Fintiri.

A serving member of the House of Representatives from Adamawa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that Fintiri had briefed senior PDP figures on plans to defect shortly after the President’s visit, describing Tinubu’s trip as part of broader political engagements.

The Adamawa PDP, however, played down the significance of the disappearance of party flags, insisting that political alignment was not determined by street branding.

The party’s publicity secretary, Victor Dogo, in a telephone conversation with The PUNCH on Sunday, said Tinubu’s visit to inaugurate projects with “direct bearing on the lives of Nigerians” showed cooperation on governance rather than proof of partisan realignment.

On the disappearance of PDP flags in the streets, Dogo said, “PDP believes in results, not mounting flags on streets that cannot bring development to the people of Adamawa State.”

He, however, said it was not a criminal offence if the governor decided to defect to the APC or any other party of his choice.

He said if the governor chose to defect today, members of the PDP and leadership in the state would follow him.

“If the governor is moving, we are all going with him. We are not looking at the party, but what he represents, national unity and development,” he said.

Fintiri, speaking with journalists last week, had stated that politics was about serving the people, adding that if his people wanted him to join the APC, he would have no choice but to follow them.

The rumours about Fintiri’s defection to the APC had been circulating since 2024, when The PUNCH reported an interview with the Adamawa APC spokesman, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi.

Abdullahi, during the interview, stated, “We are discussing with Governor Fintiri to join us in APC, and there is a green light that before the middle of 2026, the governor will join the ruling party.

“It’s certain that the governor will join the APC. The people involved in the negotiations are responsible and respected individuals, so I can assure you that Fintiri is going to mount the APC flag in the Government House before the 2027 general election.”

Also speaking to journalists in December 2025 in his Yola private residence, the National Vice Chairman of APC North East, Mustapha Salihu, confirmed to journalists that negotiations were ongoing between Fintiri and APC.

“It is unconstitutional to stop anyone from joining any association of his interest. Politics is about numbers, so we in APC will be glad if Governor Fintiri join us to build Nigeria together,” he said.

A House of Representatives member from the state on the platform of PDP, who spoke to The PUNCH on phone from his Abuja residence on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Fintiri was defecting to the APC immediately after the President’s visit on Monday.

“The governor has officially briefed top PDP members of his plans to join the APC. The President’s visit is part of the negotiations with the governor (Fintiri) to give him presidential recognition,” he said.

The lawmaker said efforts to bring Fintiri into the APC started during the tenure of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

He, however, ruled out notions that all the PDP National Assembly members would join the governor in the new party.