The political landscape in Adamawa State shifted sharply on Wednesday as 15 members of the state house of assembly, including the speaker, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), deepening uncertainty over the future of the ruling party in the state.
The mass resignation was announced during plenary by the speaker, Bathiya Wesley, who confirmed that he and his deputy, Buba Jijiwa, had also quit the party.
According to Wesley, the decision was driven by the lingering crisis at the national level of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said the lawmakers had formally communicated their resignations in separate letters, but with identical concerns about instability within the party’s leadership structure.
“All the letters contained the same message,” Wesley told the assembly. “The PDP members cited the crisis at the national level of the party as the main reason for their decision to quit.”
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Despite their departure, the lawmakers acknowledged the role the PDP played in their political careers, thanking the party for the opportunity to contest and win elections on its platform.
Those who resigned include Kefas Calvin, Bulus Geoffrey, Haruna Jilantikiri, Kefas Emmanuel, Ahmed Belel, Moses Zah, Kate Mamuno, Pwamwakeno Mackondo, Adun Alaba, Bulus Kantom, Musa Kallamu and Japhet Hammanjabu. Abubakar Abdullahi, who represents Girei constituency, had resigned from the party a day earlier.
Though the lawmakers did not immediately declare their next political destination during plenary, sources within the assembly said many of them are expected to align with the All Progressives Congress (APC). The development comes amid reports that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri is also weighing a possible defection to the ruling party at the federal level.
If confirmed, such a move would mark a significant realignment in Adamawa politics, where the PDP has held sway in recent electoral cycles. Analysts say the defection of the speaker and a large bloc of lawmakers signals more than routine party switching. It suggests deeper fractures within the PDP’s national leadership, with ripple effects at state level.
Political observers in Yola say the resignations could alter the balance of power within the state assembly and reshape alliances ahead of future elections. The PDP’s ability to maintain cohesion in Adamawa may now depend on how quickly it addresses the grievances cited by the departing lawmakers.
For the APC, the development presents an opportunity to consolidate influence in the north-east state. A formal announcement of defection, if made, would further strengthen the party’s foothold.
As events unfold, attention will focus on whether Governor Fintiri follows the lawmakers’ path. For now, Adamawa stands at a political crossroads, with party loyalty, internal crises and strategic calculations reshaping its legislative map.
