‘Nothing Has Gone Bad,’ Fintiri Insists Defection To APC Won’t Sour Ties with Atiku
Atiku was Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007. Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State says his relationship with ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar is still intact despite the former’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569656851-0"); }); Despite leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC a few weeks ago, Fintiri says the duo enjoys a healthy relationship. “I still have. There is nothing that has gone bad. It is just that everybody has taken their political ways, and I am today in APC, they are in another party,” the Adamawa State governor said on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. Atiku, who is from Adamawa State, is eyeing the country’s presidential seat in the 2027 election and has teamed up with the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The country practices a power-sharing deal between the northern and southern regions. President Bola Tinubu, who is from the southern part of the country, is still in his first term. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569913499-0"); }); READ ALSO: Adamawa Gov Fintiri Defects To APC Chamberlain Usoh: Do you have a good relationship with Atiku Abubakar? Gov Fintiri of Adamawa State: I still have. There is nothing that has gone bad. It is just that everybody has taken their political ways, and I am today in APC, they are in another party…. A northerner has… pic.twitter.com/8BCjBMnfW5 Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587799169-0"); }); — Channels Television (@channelstv) March 3, 2026 While not recognised by law, Fintiri believes the power-sharing deal should continue, arguing that southern Nigeria should complete eight years in the presidency before power returns to the north. According to him, the power-sharing deal is a unifying factor in the country. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587060870-0"); }); “A northerner has no business at the moment to vie for the office of the president,” the governor, 58, said on the show. “It is the South’s turn; they should complete their eight years if we are really serious about this country and leadership,” Fintiri said. The Adamawa governor became the latest high-profile politician to defect to the APC, a move which increased the number of governors in the ruling party to 31. Critics have questioned the mass defection into the APC, saying the country is sliding into a one-party state. But Finitri has defended his decision to join the APC, citing the need to align his people with the ruling party. “The move was purely in the interest of the people and the state…because for long, it is not about winning elections but aligning and getting more for our people,” the Adamawa leader, who is in his second and final term, said. Join Our Whatsapp Channel To join: Simply click on the link below & turn on notifications to get the latest updates Subscribe to Our Newsletter In This Article: ADC APC Atiku Fintiri More Stories DSS Arrests Suspect Over Attack On Peter Obi, Others In Edo ADC Faults Revised 2027 Timetable, Says Fielding Candidates ‘Almost Impossible’ Atiku, Obi, Amaechi, Other Opposition Leaders Hold Joint Press Conference In Abuja /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * / var disqus_shortname = 'channelstelevision'; // Required - Replace example with your forum shortname / * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = '//' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.