Photo: Atiku Loses Waziri Adamawa Title
Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been stripped of his traditional title by the Adamawa State Government, a move raising concerns of political retaliation and executive overreach ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Adamawa State Government has revoked the title of Waziri Adamawa previously held by Atiku Abubakar, citing a revised indigeneship policy that disqualifies him from holding emirate council positions.
The decision, conveyed in an official circular dated 20 June 2025 and signed by the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs’ Permanent Secretary, Adama Felicity Mamman, is part of a broader restructuring of traditional leadership under Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
The new policy limits emirate leadership roles to indigenes from six districts: Yola North, Yola South, Girei, Mayo-Belwa, Song, and Zumo. Atiku, who hails from Jada Local Government Area—part of the Ganye Chiefdom—no longer meets the eligibility criteria.
The removal of the Waziri title, considered the second most powerful traditional position in the Adamawa Emirate after the Lamido, has sparked political debate. While state officials insist the move is administrative, analysts view it as part of an intensifying political rift between Governor Fintiri and Atiku, both senior members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku, who led the PDP’s presidential campaign in 2023, has recently been linked to quiet high-level talks with national figures including Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Senator Aishatu Binani. These discussions have fuelled speculation about a potential opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Further controversy surrounds a proposed bill currently before the Adamawa State House of Assembly, which would grant the governor broad powers to depose traditional rulers and appoint successors unilaterally. Critics argue the legislation threatens the autonomy of traditional institutions and risks consolidating power within the executive arm of state government.
Although the state maintains the policy applies broadly across emirate structures, many observers see the targeting of Atiku—a political heavyweight with deep cultural roots in northern Nigeria—as symbolic and strategic.
As Nigeria’s political landscape shifts in anticipation of 2027, the revocation of Atiku Abubakar’s traditional title is being interpreted as more than just a matter of protocol.
