Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has finally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The development comes after 48 hours after Speaker of Adamawa State House of Assembly, Bathiya Wesley, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside 13 other lawmakers.
Daily Trust reports that Fintiri picked up membership card of the APC at K/Wuro Ngayandi Ward in Madagali Local Government Area of the State, on Friday.
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Prior to his defection, Fintiri has been holding meetings with chieftains of the APC.
On Wednesday, the National Vice Chairman of the APC in the North East, Mustapha Salihu, led key chieftains of the party in the region to a meeting Fintiri, at the Government House, Yola.
Commenting on his defection, the governor said he left his former party following extensive consultations with stakeholders, aimed at ensuring long-term stability, development and prosperity for the people of Adamawa.
The governor said the move would enable the state to support President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda on social welfare, infrastructure, housing and inclusive economic development.
He added that "after wide consultations with a large spectrum of our people, we have resolved to politically align Adamawa State with the APC.
"This alignment would enable Adamawa to effectively support and leverage the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu. This aims to transform the nation in critical sectors, including social welfare, infrastructure, housing and inclusive economic development."
He reaffirmed his administration's commitment to the mandate given in the 2019 and 2023 elections and pledged to uphold the state's social contract.
Fintiri said the alignment would also return Adamawa to mainstream national politics and create opportunities for investment, federal collaboration and increased benefits.
He said he would join the APC with structures across 226 wards and 21 local government areas, including elected and appointed officials.
"Wherever we go from here, we are going as a collective body with the required political strength and the numbers that confer value.
"We are moving into the APC with all the 226 wards, 21 LGAs, all elected and appointed members and indeed our energy and our political machinery to confer benefit to our state, the nation and our people," Fintiri stressed.
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He assured residents that the defection would not affect ongoing development programmes in infrastructure, education, healthcare, job creation and scholarships.
The governor urged supporters to register with the APC and participate actively in the political process, stressing that the move was in the collective interest of the state and urged citizens to sustain their support.
Fintiri's move has now returned control of Adamawa to the APC, which was in charge until the incumbent governor unseated Governor Jibrilla Bindow in 2019.
Fintiri, a former speaker of Adamawa House of Assembly, had defeated Bindow, who was seeking a second term.
In 2023, Fintiri also had a running battle with the APC when Senator Aisha Dahiru, his main opponent in the election, was declared winner by Barrister Yunusa Ari, then Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), while the process was ongoing.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had restored order by removing Ari and sanitiisng the process, which eventually produced the governor.
With his defection, APC is now in control of all but one state in the North East region.
Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa are now under APC, while Bauchi is the lone state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
