Ex-Adamawa Speaker Joins APM with His Supporters

The former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Kabiru Mijinyawa, and thousands of his supporters have left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Action People’s Movement (APM). They made the switch on Monday.

In a letter to the state chairman of the APC, dated September 13, 2026, Mijinyawa expressed that a lack of rule of law and transparency in the party's dealings pushed him away from the APC.

“The recent APC primary elections in Adamawa State showed that the party lacks internal democracy; candidates were chosen without following the right process,” he said.

Mijinyawa's move came just two days after a large group of APC leaders, led by Alhaji Tahir Shehu, also defected to the APM. Shehu spoke at an APC meeting at the Government House last Saturday. He urged party leaders to quickly resolve issues with unhappy members.

“To enter the general elections as a united family, we must reconcile the aggrieved members and show them they matter. They are not asking for much, just for the party leadership to recognize their importance in the APC family,” he told PUNCH.

The defections have raised tensions in Adamawa's political scene. Alhaji Abdulraman Haske has now secured the APM's governorship ticket. Haske was said to have won the APC governorship ticket but was replaced by Alhaji Ahmad Galadima.

In the Adamawa State Central Senatorial District, Abdulraman Abbati, who was running unopposed, was replaced by Alhaji Salihu Mustapha, who is also a governorship aspirant. In the Southern Senatorial District, Mr. Peter Fwa, also running unopposed, was replaced by Mr. Felix Tangwami, another governorship aspirant.

Mr. Fwa and his supporters have now joined the Labour Party. The publicity secretary of the Adamawa APC, Mr. Dogo Victor, commented on the wave of defections. He referred to it as political tourism.

“Tahir Shehu was the PDP chairman for two terms; he couldn't win his local government, Ganyi, during the last by-election in Ganyi state constituency. He even lost his polling unit right in front of his house. So what is his political value in the APC?” he asked.

Victor insisted that with Governor Ahmadu Fintiri's performance, the APC would win the 2027 general elections. He claimed that his party remains strong in the grassroots across the state.

But when PUNCH Online reminded Victor that former Governor Jibrilla Bindow lost to Fintiri while he was still in office, he hung up the phone.