Fresh political maneuvering is unfolding quietly in Adamawa State, revealing an emerging struggle for influence within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Investigations by party sources and political stakeholders indicate that the National Vice Chairman of the APC in the North-East, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, is at the centre of a calculated realignment strategy that could significantly reshape the party’s internal balance of power in the state.
Multiple insiders disclosed that Salihu is allegedly exploring political pathways that may draw Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) closer to the APC in what observers describe as a high-risk but strategic move tied to ethnic balance, succession politics and long-term control of party machinery.
Senior party figures who spoke on condition of anonymity said the thinking within Salihu’s camp is that Fintiri’s growing influence among minority ethnic blocs could serve as a counterweight to what they perceive as expanding Fulani dominance within the APC’s Adamawa hierarchy.
A senior APC source described the development as a quiet but deliberate political signalling process whose implications extend beyond defection to the broader question of who ultimately controls party structures ahead of 2027.
Political analysts note that Fintiri’s controversial restructuring of traditional emirates, including the division of the Adamawa and Mubi emirates, alongside his alignment with minority-focused sociopolitical platforms, has elevated his standing among non-Fulani communities while deepening mistrust among sections of the Fulani elite.
The dispute has since spilled into litigation over the status of the Adamawa Emirate, further sharpening political tensions within the state. Although the governor remains a member of the PDP, he recently stated during a media interaction in Yola that he is open to political opportunities, a remark widely interpreted within APC circles as leaving the door open to possible future realignment.
Findings further suggest that Salihu’s renewed urgency may be linked to the rising influence of Tijjani Galadima, the Yola-born Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, who is widely believed to enjoy strong backing from political networks associated with the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Sources said Galadima’s growing stature within APC conversations has unsettled competing interests as early permutations for the governorship contest begin to crystallise.
Observers point to improving relations between Governor Fintiri and Ribadu-aligned interests following the creation of the Fufore Emirate, a shift symbolically reinforced when the governor hosted a high-profile civic reception in Galadima’s honour and publicly praised the PTDF boss in a gesture many interpreted as political rapprochement.
While publicly framed as goodwill, insiders say the development heightened concern within Salihu’s political circle, where it was viewed as the possible consolidation of an alternative power bloc ahead of the next election cycle.
Further scrutiny shows that Salihu has in recent months projected unusual public warmth toward the PDP governor. His prominent appearance at a recent book launch organised in Fintiri’s honour, including reported high-value financial support and attendance via chartered flight, has drawn attention across political divides.
Party insiders interpret the gesture not as routine courtesy but as calculated political signalling aimed at building influence, securing future alignment and potentially shaping succession outcomes within the APC. Neither Salihu nor Fintiri has publicly confirmed the existence of defection talks or any form of political pact.
With more than a year before formal campaign activities commence, Adamawa’s political environment is already showing signs of an intense subterranean contest defined by ethnic power balancing, control of party structures, competing elite alliances and succession positioning ahead of 2027.
Political observers say the emerging dynamics suggest that the decisive battles for the state’s next governorship may be settled long before voters eventually head to the ballot box. For now, alignments remain fluid, negotiations largely invisible and the stakes unmistakably high, but the quiet struggle for Adamawa’s political future has clearly entered an early and potentially decisive phase.
