The Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has played down the potential impact of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s reported exit from the party, insisting it will not derail its strength or chances in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH on Monday, the State Organising Secretary of the PDP, Hamza Madagali, revealed that only three members from the party’s structure across the state had defected to Atiku’s new party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“The Jada Local Government PDP chairman, the women leader, and one other ward executive member were the only three that joined the former vice president in his new party,” he disclosed.
Madagali stressed that the PDP remains a political institution deeply rooted in the hearts of Adamawa residents and cannot be dismantled by the exit of a single individual.
“Adamawa PDP shares have been over subscribed by the people, so collapsing such a great institution built by people is not an individual task,” he stated.
Also speaking on the development, a senior party figure from Michika Local Government, Mr. Luka Tizhe Tumba, described Atiku’s exit as a welcome development, claiming it removes a long-standing obstacle from the party.
“He had been an obstacle to the party any time, especially during elections because the people of Adamawa State have not seen his political benefit from the days he was vice president and even now,” he declared.
Tumba, who is a leading voice in Michika—Adamawa’s largest local government area—argued that only Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s exit could truly affect the PDP’s structure in the state.
“Other political big names in Adamawa State are like commanders without troops. How can such commanders go into battlefield?” he queried
Similarly, the PDP State Chairman, Barrister Tahir Shehu, dismissed concerns about Atiku’s influence, affirming that the party’s political dominance in the state remains unshaken.
“Adamawa State is the home state of PDP. Atiku himself won the governorship election in 1999 on the platform of the party. It was based on this that he was elevated to the position of vice president.”
He added, “The only time PDP lost the state was under President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, when a candidate was selected in Abuja, and we rejected it at the poll to prove that Adamawa voters are not based in Abuja.”
Shehu concluded that the party had since bounced back stronger, and under the leadership of Governor Fintiri, it would remain unbeatable in the 2027 elections.
He insisted that “Atiku’s exit can not shake the party in the state due to the massive support the PDP gets from the people of the state.”
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