Ex-Adamawa Speaker Mijinyawa dumps APC for another party

Former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly and serving member representing Yola South State Constituency, Alhaji Kabiru Mijinyawa, has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Action People’s Movement alongside thousands of his supporters.

Mijinyawa announced his departure from the APC on Monday, two days after hundreds of party chieftains led by former Peoples Democratic Party chairman, Alhaji Tahir Shehu, also defected to the APM.

In a letter dated September 13, 2026, and addressed to the Adamawa State chairman of the APC, Mijinyawa cited what he described as a lack of rule of law, transparency and internal democracy in the party as reasons for his decision.

He specifically criticised the conduct of the recent APC primary elections in the state, alleging that some candidates were selected without following due process.

“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,” he said.

APC defections deepen political tension in Adamawa

Mijinyawa’s defection adds to a growing wave of departures from the APC in Adamawa ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Tahir Shehu and hundreds of other APC members had earlier left the party for the APM, with Shehu saying the APC leadership needed to urgently reconcile aggrieved members to prevent further division.

“For us to go into the general elections as a united family, there is an urgent need to reconcile aggrieved members of the party and give them hope that they are important members of the family,” Shehu said.

He said the aggrieved members were not demanding special treatment but wanted the party leadership to recognise their importance and address their concerns.

The recent defections have also affected the APC’s preparations for the 2027 governorship election, with Alhaji Abdulraman Haske emerging as the governorship candidate of the APM.

Haske was reportedly believed to have won the APC governorship ticket before being replaced by Alhaji Ahmad Galadima.

There were also changes to the APC’s senatorial candidates. In the Adamawa Central Senatorial District, Abdulraman Abbati, who was reportedly contesting unopposed, was replaced by Alhaji Salihu Mustapha, a governorship aspirant.

In the Adamawa Southern Senatorial District, Mr Peter Fwa, who was also unopposed, was replaced by Mr Felix Tangwami, another governorship aspirant.

Fwa subsequently defected to the Labour Party alongside thousands of his supporters.

APC dismisses defections as ‘political tourism’

Reacting to the development, the Adamawa State APC publicity secretary, Mr Dogo Victor, dismissed the defections as “political tourism”.

Victor questioned the political influence of some of those who had left the party, particularly Shehu, who previously served as chairman of the PDP in the state.

“Tahir Shehu was the Peoples Democratic Party PDP chairman for two terms; he could not win his local government, Ganyi, during the last by-election in Ganyi state constituency, lost his polling unit directly opposite his private house. So what is his political value in APC?” he asked.

The APC spokesman, however, maintained that the party remained strong at the grassroots and expressed confidence that it would defeat its opponents in the 2027 general elections.

Victor attributed the party’s confidence to the performance of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, insisting that the APC was well positioned to win the state.

However, when reminded that former Governor Jibrilla Bindow lost to Fintiri while serving as governor, Victor reportedly ended the conversation by switching off his phone.

The series of defections has further intensified political activities in Adamawa as political parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.