The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is deeply pained by the defection of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the development as another major political triumph for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Governor Fintiri, alongside his entire cabinet and 16 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC, a move Atiku reportedly described as a result of pressure from the current administration.
However, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, TMSG argued that the former vice president is the one under pressure after losing key political allies in his home state to the ruling party.
The group said it had noted what it described as Atiku’s “lame and tepid reaction” to the defection of his long-time political ally, Governor Fintiri, from the PDP to the APC.
“We understand how painful it is for a man of the former Vice President’s political stature to lose a major local political ally and the entire PDP political machinery in Adamawa to President Tinubu’s party rather than align with him in the African Democratic Congress (ADC),” the group said.
TMSG said it was therefore not surprising that Atiku had suggested that Fintiri was intimidated into joining the ruling party.
The group, however, described such claims as insulting to elected governors, insisting that many of them are strong political figures who make independent decisions.
According to TMSG, several governors who have defected to the APC did so because of President Tinubu’s governance style and his ability to maintain cordial relationships with state executives across party lines.
The group referenced comments by Abdullahi Sule, who recently praised the president’s leadership approach and engagement with governors nationwide.
TMSG also argued that under Tinubu’s administration, federal allocations to states have significantly increased, enabling governors to feel the impact of what it described as “true federalism” more than at any time since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
It further noted that, unlike previous administrations, there has been no instance of federal might being used against state governments, even in matters relating to local government autonomy following the ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The group also claimed that Fintiri’s decision reflects poorly on Atiku, noting that even his son, Abba, reportedly chose to align with the ruling party instead of supporting his father’s political movement.
“It is indeed troubling that Atiku, who could not convince his own son or key members of his political structure in Adamawa to join him in his 2027 ambition, now wants Nigerians to see him as a better alternative to President Tinubu,” the group said.
TMSG further contrasted Tinubu’s political trajectory with Atiku’s history of party movements, noting that the president played major roles in the evolution of parties from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which later became part of the APC.
The group concluded that Tinubu’s “pragmatic and consistent” approach to politics continues to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic development and warned that it would not be surprising if Atiku switches political platforms again ahead of the 2027 elections.
