A former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Kabiru Mijinyawa, has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Action Peoples Movement alongside thousands of his supporters.
Mr Mijinyawa, who currently represents Yola South State Constituency in the state Assembly, announced his resignation from the APC in a letter dated 13 September 2026, addressed to the party’s Adamawa State chairman.
The former Speaker said his decision was driven by what he described as a lack of rule of law, transparency and internal democracy within the APC.
He specifically criticised the conduct of the party’s recent primary elections in Adamawa, alleging that candidates were selected without due process.
Mr Mijinyawa said, “The recent APC primary elections in Adamawa State were a demonstration that the party lacks internal democracy; people were picked as candidates without due process.”
More APC members join APM
Mr Mijinyawa’s defection came two days after hundreds of APC chieftains, led by former PDP chairman Alhaji Tahir Shehu, also moved to the APM.
Mr Shehu had called on APC leaders to urgently reconcile aggrieved members, warning that unresolved grievances could weaken the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the affected members were not demanding special treatment but wanted the party leadership to recognise their contributions and restore confidence in the party structure.
The defections have also been linked to disputes surrounding the APC’s primary outcomes and candidate substitutions in Adamawa.
The APM’s governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Haske, was reportedly among those affected after allegedly winning the APC governorship ticket before being replaced by Alhaji Ahmad Galadima.
In Adamawa Central Senatorial District, Abdulraman Abbati, who was unopposed, was replaced by Alhaji Salihu Mustapha.
Similarly, in Adamawa South, Peter Fwa, who was also unopposed, was replaced by Mr Felix Tangwami.
Fwa and thousands of his supporters have subsequently moved to the Labour Party.
APC dismisses defections
Reacting to the development, the Adamawa State APC publicity secretary, Dogo Victor, described the defections as “political tourism.”
Mr Dogo questioned the electoral strength of some of the defectors and maintained that the APC remained strong at the grassroots.
He expressed confidence that the party would defeat its opponents in the 2027 general elections, citing the performance of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as one of the factors that would work in the party’s favour.
The latest movement adds another layer to the political realignment in Adamawa ahead of the 2027 elections.
With prominent politicians and large groups of supporters moving between parties, the state is emerging as an increasingly important battleground as political parties work to consolidate their structures ahead of the general elections.
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