Adamawa Govt Revokes Atiku’s Waziri Title

Adamawa Govt Revokes Atiku’s Waziri Title.
Policy seen by some as politically motivated amid PDP tensions.
New bill could give governor sweeping control over royal appointments

The Adamawa State Government has officially withdrawn the prestigious traditional title of Waziri Adamawa from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The revocation was communicated in a circular dated June 20, 2025, signed by Mrs. Adama Felicity Mamman, Permanent Secretary, Department of Chieftaincy Affairs.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to the government, the decision follows the introduction of new indigeneship guidelines governing leadership positions within the emirate council. The restructuring, part of reforms initiated by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s administration, affects traditional institutions across the state.

Under the revised policy, only individuals from Yola South, Yola North, Girei, Mayo-Belwa, Song, and Zumo districts are now eligible to hold emirate council titles. Atiku, who hails from Jada Local Government Area under the Ganye Chiefdom, no longer qualifies under the new arrangement.

The circular clarified that the restrictions are not specific to Atiku but apply to all council members and titleholders whose ancestry is outside the approved districts. This development is expected to prompt a major reshuffling within the state’s traditional leadership structure.

While the government insists the policy is purely administrative, political analysts view it as a calculated move linked to recent tensions between Governor Fintiri and Atiku Abubakar. Both men played key roles within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 elections, but their relationship has since deteriorated.

Atiku’s recent engagements with prominent political figures like Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Senator Aishatu Binani have sparked rumours of a potential new opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.

The timing of the title revocation has raised further concerns, especially as the state assembly is currently considering a controversial bill that would grant the governor extensive powers to depose traditional rulers and appoint successors without input from traditional kingmakers.