● APC primary hands ticket to Ribadu ally Galadima as governor’s pick Tangwami sidelined
The outcome of the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Adamawa has shattered existing political calculations, stripping Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of influence and opening a fresh battle for control of the state ahead of the February 6, 2027 election.
The upset, reported by LEO SOBECHI and JOY DENNIS, saw the APC hand its ticket to Tijjani Ahmed Galadima, a 40-60 power-sharing deal that excluded Fintiri’s camp and boosted the camp of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
—Grassroots pick sidelined as Ribadu’s ally wins—
Contrary to Governor Fintiri’s assurance that he would support a grassroots politician to succeed him, his preferred candidate, Dr Felix Tangwami, was pushed into the senatorial contest. Tangwami’s experience dating back to the military era counted for little as the late entry of former PDP stalwarts into APC diluted the governor’s incumbency advantage.
Chairman of the National APC Primary Election Committee, Innocent Barikor, confirmed the result Friday, May 22 in Yola after “fierce polling” across 21 LGAs.
“I, Innocent Barikor, the Returning Officer and Chairman of the National APC Primary Election Committee, hereby declare Ahmed Tijjani Galadima the winner of the Adamawa State APC governorship primary election, and he stands as the party’s governorship candidate,” he announced.
Galadima polled 414,444 votes, dwarfing Abdulrazak Namdas Saad’s 86,004 and Abdulrahman Haske’s 65,930.
Galadima, until recently Executive Secretary of PTDF, is widely known as the preferred candidate of NSA Ribadu. Party faithful dismissed him as an “unknown quantity” whose only asset was Ribadu’s endorsement.
APC member Aliyu Abdullahi warned: “It is no secret that Ribadu is bent on backing Galadima for governor, but he must be careful how he goes about it so that the party does not implode, and what happened to him in 2015, when he got the nomination but lost the general election, does not repeat itself because of imposition.”
Runner-up Abdulrahman Haske questioned the process, citing absent collation in some LGAs and limited access to procedures. “The integrity of the process is as important as the outcome. Transparent and inclusive procedures remain essential to sustaining trust,” he said.
—Binani gains ground in NDC as Atiku circles—
The APC drama coincided with a major shift by former senator Aishatu Ahmed, popularly called Binani. On May 5, 2026, she defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress alongside Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Seriake Dickson. Within NDC, the 54-year-old is positioning herself as the candidate to beat, aiming to become Adamawa’s first female governor.
Binani’s estrangement from APC deepened after President Bola Tinubu appointed Ribadu NSA. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja, recognizing her capacity to mobilize Adamawa voters. She had earlier accused ex-SGF Babachir Lawal of imposing candidates during ADC congresses.
—2027 fault lines redrawn—
Shortly after Fintiri moved the entire PDP structure into APC, murmurs emerged. PDP stalwarts and old APC chieftains argued he joined mainly to shield himself from EFCC scrutiny. APC supporters resisted his leadership while Ribadu loyalists insisted the governor could not dictate the party’s direction.
With Fintiri stunned by Galadima’s emergence and Binani consolidating in NDC, supporters of the governor and APC losers are reportedly discussing backing the former senator. How the power play among Fintiri, Ribadu, Atiku and Binani evolves could define Adamawa politics and determine if APC’s loss of incumbency advantage translates into sympathy votes on February 6, 2027.
Source: The Guardian
