Defection: paperweight politicians make the loudest noise – Governor Fintiri

Adamawa state governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has dismissed a recent statement attributed to a member of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) as “empty noise”, insisting he remains a politician with “full potential and electoral value”.

Speaking on Thursday at a solidarity rally in Jada, in north-eastern Nigeria, Fintiri said those speculating about his possible defection to the APC were “paperweight politicians” unsettled by his influence.

“If I am to decamp to any party, I will not go alone,” the governor said. “I will go with my deputy, members of the state assembly, commissioners, chairmen and councillors.”

In Nigeria, defections – the switching of party allegiance by elected officials – are common and can alter political control at both state and federal levels. They have become more frequent as parties reposition ahead of the 2027 general election.

Fintiri’s remarks followed claims by an APC member in Adamawa that any move by the governor to leave the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) for the ruling party would have significant consequences for the state’s political landscape.

The governor rejected the suggestion as unfounded. “Paperweight politicians make the loudest noise,” he told supporters. “They are afraid of us because they know the structure we have built and the support we enjoy.”

Adamawa, one of Nigeria’s 36 states, has been a battleground between the PDP and the APC in recent election cycles. While the PDP controls the state government, the APC has sought to expand its foothold in the region.

The APC in Adamawa has yet to issue an official response to Fintiri’s comments.

Analysts say public denials of defection rumours are a recurring feature of Nigeria’s fluid party system, where political alignment is often shaped less by ideology than by calculations of power and electoral advantage. For now, Fintiri appears intent on projecting stability within his administration and the state chapter of the PDP.