APC Flags Take Over Adamawa as Gov Fintiri Faces Defection ahead of Tinubu’s Visit

The streets of Yola, the Adamawa State capital, have taken on new political colours ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s scheduled visit on Monday, as flags and billboards of the All Progressives Congress suddenly appeared across major parts of the city.

The sudden dominance of APC materials has sparked fresh conversations around the political future of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, with growing speculation that he may be preparing to dump the Peoples Democratic Party.

Along the busy Yola International Airport corridor and other key roads, PDP banners that once defined the skyline were noticeably absent. In their place were APC flags, posters and large billboards, a development that further fuelled rumours of an imminent political shift at the Government House.

Talks about Fintiri’s possible defection are not new. The issue first gained public attention last year when APC leaders in the state openly confirmed that discussions were underway.

At the time, party officials expressed confidence that the governor would eventually align with the ruling party before the next general election cycle.

Those claims resurfaced months later when senior APC figures in the North-East again acknowledged ongoing engagement with the Adamawa governor, describing the move as part of broader political realignments ahead of 2027.

Adding to the intrigue, a PDP member of the House of Representatives from the state, who spoke privately, claimed that the governor had already briefed key party stakeholders on his intention to switch camps.

According to the lawmaker, the president’s visit is being seen within political circles as a critical step in finalising those discussions.

He further alleged that efforts to bring Fintiri into the APC began years ago and had continued across different administrations, with political recognition and honours used to sustain the conversation.

The lawmaker described the governor as a high-value political asset, insisting that the ruling party was eager to strengthen its ranks with a sitting governor seen as electorally strong.

Despite this, the lawmaker ruled out a mass movement of PDP lawmakers to the APC, noting that several constituencies in the state remain hostile to the ruling party. He said some legislators would explore other political options if the governor eventually defects.

However, the Adamawa PDP leadership, however, has played down the entire development. Speaking on the matter, the party’s publicity secretary dismissed the street-level political display as inconsequential and insisted that governance, not flags, should be the focus.

He also suggested that the president’s visit to commission projects in the state reflected cooperation between the federal government and the Adamawa administration, rather than a signal of partisan realignment.

Meanwhile, preparations for Tinubu’s arrival were in full swing as of Sunday. Road medians across Yola were repainted, while security was visibly tightened, with armed personnel and armoured vehicles deployed to strategic locations across the city.

The visit will be Tinubu’s first official trip to Adamawa since the 2023 presidential campaign, when he last addressed supporters in Yola during a rally near the residence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.