Adamu Abubakar, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned from the state executive council, shortly after Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adamu Abubakar, who served as Commissioner for Works and Energy Development, tendered his resignation in a letter dated March 2, 2026, addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. His exit comes amid sweeping political changes triggered by Governor Fintiri’s decision to abandon the PDP, the platform under which he rose to political prominence and secured two electoral victories as governor. 
Adamu Abubakar’s departure followed Governor Fintiri’s announcement on February 27, 2026, that he was leaving the PDP for the APC, a move that saw the majority of cabinet members and political appointees align with the governor’s new political direction. 
However, unlike many commissioners who followed the governor into the ruling party, the former commissioner declined to defect. 
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri decamped to the APC, following weeks of speculation after several members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly and senior political figures aligned with him began moving toward the APC. 
Before his dramatic exit, Fintiri’s political career was deeply rooted in the PDP, where he held multiple influential positions over nearly two decades.
Born on October 27, 1967, in Gulak, Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Fintiri began his political journey in the state legislature, representing his constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly after winning election in 2007 and securing reelection in 2011. 
Within the PDP structure, he rose steadily through legislative leadership ranks, eventually becoming Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, a position he held until 2015. His tenure as Speaker significantly elevated his political visibility within the party and positioned him as a central figure in state politics. 
His first major executive role came in July 2014 when he became acting governor following the impeachment of then-Governor Murtala Nyako. Although his tenure lasted only about three months before power was transferred to Bala James Ngilari, the episode established him as a viable gubernatorial contender within the PDP ranks. 
Fintiri later secured the PDP governorship ticket and won the fiercely contested 2019 Adamawa gubernatorial election, defeating incumbent APC governor Bindo Jibrilla after a supplementary poll. He was subsequently re-elected in 2023, consolidating PDP control of the state at the time. 
Throughout these years, he remained one of the PDP’s strongest northern governors, often regarded as a stabilising political force within the party’s North East structure.
As of the time of reporting, the Adamawa State Government has not announced a replacement for the former commissioner, while political stakeholders continue consultations amid the unfolding realignment.
Samuel Aina