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Atiku not targetted – Adamawa govt reacts as new chieftaincy policy raises dust

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The Adamawa State Government says former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is not the target of a chieftaincy reform barring non-indigenes of emirates and chiefdoms from holding council positions in such locations.

The government said on Wednesday, that no particular person is targetted by the new order but it seeks a wholesome leadership in the different emirates and chiefdoms across the state.

A circular directing implementation of the reform is raising dust in and around Adamawa State, with many seeing the reform as being Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s way of whittling down the influence of Atiku who hails from Jada in Ganye Emirate but holds the council position of Waziri Adamawa in the Adamawa Emirate.

Reacting to the controversy on Wednesday, the state Commissioner of Information, Iliya James, said the reform provides a guide on how the various emirates and chiefdom’s should be self-governing without powerful people coming from outside to dictate for them.

“When you have kingmakers for a kingdom coming from outside the kingdom to decide who becomes king, for example, you could one day have the king from outside,” the commissioner said.

He emphasized that the new reform affects not title holders but council members with responsibilities of making far-reaching decisions involving the various traditional institutions.

Besides Atiku, many other prominent council members of the Adamawa Emirate come from outside, by virtue of the creation of seven chiefdoms and emirates last year by the state government.

They include a famous businessman Abdulkadir Aminu Mbamba who holds the title of Wali Adamawa, former chief judge of Adamawa State, Justice Nathan Musa who holds the title of Wakili Alkalan Adamawa and former Adamawa Speaker James Barka who is the Magatakarda Adamawa.

Mbamba, Nathan and Barka hail from Hong local government areas which was in Adamawa Emirate before late last year but now belong to Huba Chiefdom after the chiefdom became an autonomous institution by virtue of the the November 2024 creation of new chiefdoms and emirates.

The simmering uproar over Adamawa’s new chieftaincy reform as it involves Atiku erupted late on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 when the news broke about the circular of government on the new order.

In the circular which was dated June 20, 2025 but did not become public property till Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs in the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs Adama Mamman, said the directive was part of a broader restructuring of traditional institutions following the creation of new emirates and chiefdoms.

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ADC Strengthens Party Structure with Release of State Chairmen Names

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a significant step in bolstering its organizational structure nationwide by releasing the names of its state chairmen for all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This move aims to enhance coordination and leadership at the state level as the party prepares for future elections.

Full List of ADC State Chairmen:

South-South
Akwa Ibom State: Duke Gabriel Dick
Delta State: Austine Okotie
Rivers State: Ode Lawrence E

South-East

Abia State: Iyke Nwoka
Anambra State: Patrick Obianyo
Ebonyi State: Jennifer Adibie N
Enugu State: Stella Chukwula
Imo State: Prof James Okoroma

North-Central
Benue State: Celestine Orbunda
Kogi State: John Adeli Udale
Kwara State: Adebayo Akadi
Nasarawa State: Musa S. Shuaib
Niger State: Auta Mohammed
Plateau State: Hanatu Garaba

North-East
Adamawa State: Yohanna Shehu K
Bauchi State: Hon. Haruna Hassan
Borno State: Mohammed Bolori
Gombe State: Mallam Danladi Yau
Taraba State: Adamu Hassan
Yobe State: Alh. Kalli Umar

North-West
Jigawa State: Alh. Sanni Mohammed
Kaduna State: Ahmed Tijani M
Kano State: Ungogo Musa
Katsina State: Alh. Usman Musa
Kebbi State: Hajia Hawa Mohammed
Sokoto State: Hon. Umar Farouk
Zamfara State: Alh. Kabiru Garba

South-West
Ekiti State: Adekolu O. Moses
Lagos State: George Ashiru
Ogun State: Otunba Pat. Olufemi
Ondo State: Chief Mrs. Ganiyu Sidirika
Osun State: Charles Idowu
Oyo State: Alh. Yinka Adona
FCT: Yusuf Tijani

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Akpabio removes Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senate committee chair

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced the replacement of suspended senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations

Akpabio, during plenary on Thursday, announced Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new chairman of the committee.

As a result, Bassey replaces Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, whose leadership of the committee had been uncertain due to her suspension.

Recall that in a minor reshuffle earlier in February, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was removed as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Local Content and reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee.

Although no formal explanation was provided for her replacement, it is thought that the move may not be unconnected to her suspension.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court had ordered Natasha’s reinstatement, mandating her to tender an apology to the Senate for her conduct.

But the Senate maintains it is yet to receive a certified true copy of the court’s judgement.

Natasha, on her part, is yet to tender the apology.

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Ekiti 2026: SDP slams Oyebanji’s performance, APC fires back

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Political temperature in Ekiti State is already heating up as the 2026 governorship election approaches, with the opposition Social Democratic Party, SDP, and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, locked in a war of words over Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s leadership.

SDP State Chairman, Bamikole Ayodele, on Thursday, criticized the Oyebanji-led administration, accusing it of underperforming in critical sectors including infrastructure, agriculture, security, tourism, and job creation.

He alleged that the governor had mismanaged public resources and failed to meet the expectations of the electorate.

“The governor is not delivering on his mandate,” Ayodele said during a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti. “There is little to show in terms of infrastructure. Ekiti, being an agriculturally rich state, has seen no meaningful reform to empower our youth or boost food production.”

He also accused the administration of partisan governance, claiming that employment and development initiatives are being disproportionately directed toward APC loyalists.

“Governor Oyebanji must remember he governs the entire state, not just his party,” he said, urging the administration to embrace innovation, merit, and inclusivity.

In a swift reaction, APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, dismissed the SDP’s criticisms as baseless and politically motivated. He described the opposition as “moribund” and its leaders as people seeking relevance ahead of the next election cycle.

“Oyebanji’s performance speaks for itself,” Dipe stated. “From agriculture to infrastructure, security to tourism, the administration is making meaningful progress. Visit the rural areas, projects are ongoing. Though the rainy season may slow construction, the development efforts are visible.”

He cited the restoration of electricity to long-neglected communities and road construction projects in remote areas as clear indicators of the administration’s commitment to inclusive growth. Dipe also pointed to the governor’s high approval ratings among residents as proof of public confidence.

“The people of Ekiti know who is working for them,” The SDP’s claim that it can unseat the APC in 2026 is not only unrealistic but laughable. They lack the structure and visibility to mount a serious challenge,” he said.

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