PDP reacts to Fintiri's defection, says governor is a "coward"

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the defection of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a move that runs contrary to political principles and morality.

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The party acknowledged that the governor has a constitutional right to join any political party of his choice but noted that his defection at this time poses a challenge to multi-party democracy and democratic consolidation in Nigeria.

The PDP’s spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, made the party’s position known in a statement issued on Friday, bidding farewell to Mr Fintiri after news of his defection went viral.

Mr Ememobong said the governor’s decision to abandon the platform that brought him to power because of a “slight discomfort” amounted to cowardice.

“While we acknowledge that this move is well within Fintiri’s legal rights, it is clearly against political principles and morality, a challenge to multi-party democracy and democratic consolidation.

“For a person to abandon a platform that provided political coverage for him, across many election cycles at the sight of slight discomfort, is unambiguously an exhibition of unrestrained cowardice, and not a mark of a principled politician,” he said.

Fintiri’s defection

Mr Fintiri announced his defection in a statewide broadcast on Friday, stating that he had decided in the best interests of the development of Adamawa State. He added that members of his cabinet and other PDP officials in the state would be joining him in the APC.

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The governor had served as chairman of the party’s national convention held on 15 and 16 November 2025, which produced Kabiru Turaki as national chairman.

Since the outcome of that convention, Mr Fintiri’s body language suggested he was uncomfortable with decisions taken by the Turaki-led executive, particularly those directed at the faction of the party backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Despite chairing the convention, he publicly opposed the expulsion of Mr Wike, former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, former National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and eight others during the party’s national convention in Ibadan.

He instead called for dialogue to resolve the crisis among the party’s warring leaders. However, the Turaki-led executive ignored his advice and issued expulsion letters to the affected members.

After the incident, Mr Fintiri distanced himself from PDP activities.

With his defection, Adamawa, once considered a PDP stronghold, is now under the control of the ruling APC.

Earlier, the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Bathiya Wesley, alongside 15 PDP lawmakers, had defected to the APC, citing the party’s lingering leadership crisis.

Farewell message

Mr Ememobong said the PDP leadership accepts the governor’s decision but reminded him that history would judge his actions.

“As we bid Governor Finitri farewell, we remind him that history and posterity are the ultimate and unbiased judges of human conduct and are actively recording the actions and inactions of people,” he said.

The party urged its members in Adamawa State to remain resolute, expressing optimism that the PDP would regain its footing.

‘We urge our members in Adamawa to accept this sad reality with grace, knowing that the true test of a person is during times of inconvenience and contention. They should remain resolute in the hope that the rebirth movement of our party is on course and will certainly reposition our party back to winning ways,” Mr Ememobong said.