Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s sons, Adamu Atiku and Maksha Atiku, have refused to follow Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to the All Progressives Congress (APC), maintaining their loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Fintiri on Friday officially defected to the APC, bringing along 22 of his 24 commissioners in a statewide broadcast. However, Adamu, the Commissioner for Works and Energy Development, and Maksha, Commissioner for Livestock, were notably absent from the announcement, and their names were missing from the list of defectors.
A source within the state government, speaking anonymously, said the Atiku brothers chose to remain in the PDP due to their father’s political influence.
“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. Maksha is also a strong supporter of the former Vice President and decided to stay back,” the source said.
The PDP, led nationally by Tanimu Turaki, condemned Fintiri’s defection, describing it as an act of cowardice that undermines the principles of multi-party democracy. In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong, the party said Fintiri’s decision to leave the platform that supported his political journey over “minor inconveniences” reflected poor political principle.
“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. 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. History and posterity are the ultimate and unbiased judges of human actions.”
The PDP called on members in Adamawa to accept the development with composure while recording the actions of individuals for posterity.
Adamu and Maksha’s decision to stay put signals the Atiku family’s continued influence in Adamawa politics and underscores their commitment to their father’s legacy and the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
