Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri inaugurated a 3,000-member All Progressives Congress campaign council on Thursday at the Government House in Yola. The council will coordinate the campaigns of all APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.
Fintiri warned against anti-party activities, including voting for candidates of other political parties. His warning carried particular weight. Adamawa residents have consistently voted for their son, Atiku Abubakar, since 1999. Atiku is now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress.
“You either work with us or you are out,” Fintiri told council members. He charged them to ensure APC victory “from top to bottom” and warned against cross-party voting at any level. The state APC chairman, Hamza Bello Madagali, said no presidential candidate other than President Bola Tinubu should secure 25 per cent of the votes in Adamawa.
The council’s composition is a coalition of the governor’s allies and the party’s structures. Fintiri chairs the council. His deputy, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, is deputy chairperson I. The APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Galadima, is deputy chairman II. The state party chairman is vice chairman I. The Speaker of the state House of Assembly is vice chairman II. The APC governorship running mate is vice chairman III. Abdulrazak Namdas, a governorship aspirant in the party’s primary, is vice chairman IV.
This mirrors the logic of Nigerian campaign councils, which reward loyalty, accommodate rivals and distribute patronage. A 3,000-member council is not a decision-making body. It is a mobilisation structure. Its size reflects the governor’s need to absorb every faction and ensure that no defeated aspirant becomes a spoiler.
The human stakes are about political arithmetic. Fintiri won Adamawa for the APC in 2023, but the state has voted for Atiku in every presidential election since 1999. The 2027 contest will test whether the governor can deliver his state for Tinubu against the pull of a local son. The warning is a recognition that the task is difficult.
Winners and Losers
Winners: Fintiri, who consolidates control of the APC structure in Adamawa. The 3,000 council members, who gain positions and proximity to power. Namdas, who is absorbed into the council despite losing the primary.
Losers: Atiku, who faces a governor explicitly warning voters against supporting him. APC members excluded from the council, who must watch from outside. Voters in Adamawa, who are told their choice is restricted to one party.
Bottom Line: A 3,000-member council is a show of force. It is not a guarantee of votes. Fintiri has warned against anti-party voting. Adamawa voters will decide whether they obey.