- Safiu Kehinde
The Adamawa State Government has stripped the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of the prestigious traditional title of Waziri Adamawa following a new indigeneship policy affecting emirate council leadership.
This was made known in a circular dated June 20, 2025, and signed by Adama Mamman, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs.
The Waziri Adamawa title which is equivalent to a Prime Minister is considered the second highest-ranking figure in the Adamawa Emirate after the Lamido.
However, the creation of new chiefdoms by the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, had seen the Waziri title fall under new eligibility criteria which stipulate that only indigenes from Yola South, Yola North, Girei, Mayo-Belwa, Song, and Zumo districts can hold emirate council positions or titles.
With Atiku being a native of Jada Local Government Area, which is part of the Ganye Chiefdom, the former Vice President was thus disqualified.
According to the circular, the new policy is part of a broader restructuring of traditional institutions and it applies to all council members and traditional titleholders within emirate systems across the state.
Several other title holders whose origins lie outside the approved districts were also affected by the policy.
According to report, political analysts have linked the move to rising tensions between Governor Fintiri and Atiku Abubakar despite the state government’s claim that the policy is purely administrative.