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Fintiri joins APC, Atiku’s son shuns defection

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s son, Adamu Atiku, has refused to follow Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, to the All Progressives Congress.

Fintiri on Friday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party and defected to the APC alongside 22 of the 24 commissioners serving in his cabinet.

However, Adamu, who is the Commissioner for Works and Energy Development, and the Commissioner for Livestock, Maksha Atiku, were absent at the Government House when the governor announced his defection in a statewide broadcast.

Our correspondent  sighted the handwritten names and signatures of commissioners who defected with the governor, but Adamu and Maksha’s names were conspicuously missing from the list.

One of the commissioners, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said Adamu declined to defect because of his father’s political standing.

“If you recall, one of Atiku’s sons, Abba, joined the APC last month. So, Adamu cannot now also join the APC, abandoning their father in the African Democratic Congress.”

It will raise questions about the political capacity of the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. We sympathise with him over the political problem he is facing because of his father.

“Maksha is also a strong supporter of the former Vice President, so I believe he has loyalty to his political leader and decided to stay back,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP National Working Committee condemned Fintiri’s defection, describing it as an act of cowardice that undermines the principles of multi-party democracy in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party reminded Fintiri that history and posterity remain the ultimate and impartial judges of human conduct.

The PDP stated that Fintiri’s decision to leave a platform that supported his political journey through multiple election cycles over what it termed minor inconveniences reflected unrestrained cowardice rather than principled leadership.

The statement read in part, “We are aware of the official announcement of the long-speculated defection of His Excellency, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, from our party to the All Progressives Congress today via a broadcast in Adamawa State.

“This move, though long speculated, had attracted several rebuttals from the Governor himself, even as recently as last week after the presidential visit to Adamawa. By this announcement, the Governor has confirmed what was previously rumoured by aligning with the ruling party, a move he claims is in the developmental interest of his state.

“While we acknowledge that this decision is within Fintiri’s legal rights, it clearly violates political principles and morality and poses a challenge to multi-party democracy and democratic consolidation. For someone to abandon a platform that provided political cover across several election cycles at the first sign of discomfort is an exhibition of unrestrained cowardice, not the conduct of a principled politician.

“As we bid Governor Fintiri farewell, we remind him that history and posterity are the ultimate and unbiased judges of human actions and are actively recording the deeds and omissions of individuals.”

The PDP urged its members in Adamawa State to accept what it described as a sad development with composure.

 

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Politics

Reps minority whip resigns from PDP

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The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Ali Isa, on  Tuesday, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, citing internal crisis and alleged undemocratic practices within the party.

In a resignation letter April 14, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of Kindiyo Ward in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, Isa said his decision takes immediate effect.

He stated that his exit was “compelled by the way and manner some undemocratic forces have hijacked the party for reasons that are contrary to the founding principles and philosophy of the party, which created a factional leadership.”

The lawmaker, who represents Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency, said he took the decision after wide consultations with key stakeholders.

“After a series of rigorous consultations with my family, political associates, friends, and relevant stakeholders, I have arrived at the conclusion that the path to my political future, as well as the political future of the great people who gave me their mandate, lies outside the PDP,” he said.

Isa added that his priority remains the welfare and political future of his constituents, noting that they deserve a more viable platform.

“It is my firm belief that the people of my constituency deserve a platform on which their interests and political future will be better guaranteed,” he stated.

He, however, thanked the PDP for the opportunity to serve.

“I wish to sincerely thank the leadership and membership of the party for giving me the platform on which the people of Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency gave me the wonderful opportunity to represent them at the National Assembly. I will ever remain grateful and wish you all the best,” he added.

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Six months enough to tackle insecurity if FG is serious — Ndume

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Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has said Nigeria’s insecurity can be decisively tackled within six months if the federal government shows sufficient commitment.

Ndume made the assertion on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he expressed concern over renewed violence in the North-East.

According to the lawmaker, ending insecurity requires decisive action, improved military capacity and strong political will.

He said, “It is not about complaining. It is not about asking somebody like me, as a senator, to say why these things. I always believe that if the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria are serious about this, we can end this thing (insecurity) in six months.

“All we need is to train our soldiers, equip them, arm them very well, and then motivate them.”

Ndume also decried the continued loss of military personnel, including senior officers, describing the trend as alarming and indicative of deeper operational challenges. He added that the army is not sufficiently equipped and the morale is down.

Our correspondent  had reported that Brigadier General Oseni Braimah was killed on April 9, 2026, in a midnight attack by terrorists on the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State. Also on Monday, a colonel and six soldiers were killed by Boko Haram insurgents the state.

The senator further blamed the worsening security situation on inconsistent implementation of strategies, urging authorities to match words with action.

“We have to be very serious about this matter; we have to walk the talk,” he said.

On foreign support, Ndume emphasised the need for intelligence, technology and specialised expertise rather than reliance on external forces. He noted that Nigeria lacks adequate drone capacity and called for increased deployment of technology-driven solutions, citing examples from Burkina Faso.

“We have some capable hands on the ground; all they need is equipment, ammunition and motivation. We don’t have enough drones.

“Look at what Burkina Faso is doing; it is technology. We can use it to finish or minimise this within the shortest possible time. If we deploy drones, we have our youths that are specialists and designing it.

“In Borno, if you deploy surveillance cameras, you can see everything that is happening. In these days, you can put up surveillance cameras that can go 100 metres. Once we can escalate our military assets in Borno and everywhere, that will go a long way to reduce our problem.”

Ndume also commended Babagana Zulum for his efforts in stabilising parts of Borno State, noting that the situation would have been worse without his interventions.

“If not for the efforts of Prof Babagana Zulum (the governor) in complementing the efforts of the military in the state, Borno State would have gone down,” he said.

 

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David Mark Files Suit Against INEC Over ADC Leadership

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The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that removed key party officials from its records.

INEC had, on April 1, deleted the names of Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official website and portal, a move that has deepened the party’s internal crisis.

In a motion filed on April 7 by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark urged Justice Emeka Nwite to grant a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to restore the names of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He also asked the court to set aside INEC’s refusal to monitor or attend the ADC’s congresses and convention, arguing that such actions undermine the party’s operations

Specifically, Mark is seeking an order directing INEC to immediately reinstate and maintain the names of himself, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee in its official records. He further requested that the court restrain the electoral body from recognising or acting on any rival leadership claims until the case is resolved.

The application follows a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe. Mark’s legal team argued that the appellate court had ordered all parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum”—the last uncontested state of affairs before the dispute began.

According to Usman, as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was instituted, Mark was the duly recognised National Chairman of the party, and the leadership structure in question was already in place.

He added that the plaintiff had resigned from his previous position and no longer held any role within the ADC at the time, insisting that INEC’s actions disrupted an already established leadership order.

The court is expected to determine whether to grant the interim reliefs while the substantive case continues.

 

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