Photo: Adamawa Gov Fintiri
Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has defended his position that Nigeria’s presidency should remain in the South until 2031, saying northerners should not contest the office in 2027 in the interest of fairness and national unity.
Speaking during a television interview monitored by this newspaper, Fintiri said the principle of power rotation between the North and South must be respected to maintain political stability.
Fintiri, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, said while anyone is constitutionally free to seek office, the South should be allowed to complete its eight-year turn.
“It is still the turn of the South to complete. A northerner has no business at the moment to vie for the office of the president,” he said, urging support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete a second term.
Despite political differences, the governor said his relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remains cordial. Atiku, who hails from Adamawa, is currently in the African Democratic Congress and is seeking the party’s coalition ticket for the 2027 presidential race.
Fintiri also addressed the resignation of Atiku’s son, Adamu Atiku, who stepped down as Adamawa commissioner for works and energy development after refusing to defect from the PDP to the APC.
“We excused him so he can pitch his tent with his father, which is the normal thing to do,” the governor said.
Following the resignation, Fintiri has forwarded three nominees—Sali Idris, Muhammed Suleiman and Chubado Mohammed—to the state House of Assembly for screening as commissioners. Speaker Bathiya Wesley has directed them to appear before the Assembly on March 9 with their curriculum vitae.
