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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally reacted to the defection of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a betrayal of political principles and a blow to multi-party democracy.
In a press statement issued on February 27, 2026, the party said it had taken note of the governor’s official broadcast announcing his departure from the PDP to join the ruling party.
The statement, signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, noted that the defection, though widely speculated in recent weeks, had been repeatedly denied by Fintiri including after a recent presidential visit to Adamawa State.
“By this announcement, the Governor himself has confirmed what hitherto was a rumour, by aligning with the ruling party, a move he says is in the ‘developmental interest’ of his state,” the statement read.
While acknowledging that the governor acted within his constitutional rights, the PDP said his decision raises serious moral and political concerns.
“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,” the party stated.
The PDP accused the governor of abandoning the political platform that supported him through multiple election cycles at the first sign of difficulty.
“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,” the statement declared.
Bidding the governor farewell, the party warned that his actions would ultimately be assessed by history.
“As we bid Governor Fintiri 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,” the PDP added.
The opposition party also called on its members in Adamawa State to remain calm and steadfast despite what it described as a “sad reality.”
It urged supporters to accept the development with grace, insisting that the party’s ongoing “rebirth movement” remains on track and would restore the PDP to electoral success.