A former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been stripped of the prestigious traditional title of Waziri Adamawa which he previously held.
The Adamawa State Government formally revoked the title citing a new indigeneship policy affecting emirate council leadership.
The decision was communicated in a circular dated June 20, 2025, and signed by Mrs. Adama Felicity Mamman, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs. The directive is part of a broader restructuring of traditional institutions following the recent creation of new chiefdoms under Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s administration.
Traditionally considered the second highest-ranking figure in the Adamawa Emirate after the Lamido, the Waziri Adamawa title now falls 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. Atiku, a native of Jada Local Government Area, which is part of the Ganye Chiefdom, is thus disqualified.
The circular further stated that the new policy applies to all council members and traditional titleholders within emirate systems across the state, thereby affecting several others whose origins lie outside the approved districts.
While the state government insists the policy is purely administrative, political analysts have linked the move to rising tensions between Governor Fintiri and Atiku Abubakar. Both were prominent figures within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 elections, but recent events suggest widening political divisions.
Atiku has in recent months been associated with talks involving key national political actors such as Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Senator Aishatu Binani—fueling speculation about a new opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Further intensifying the controversy is a bill currently before the Adamawa State House of Assembly that seeks to grant the governor the power to depose traditional rulers deemed unfit and appoint successors directly. Critics warn the proposed law could concentrate excessive authority in the hands of the state executive and erode the autonomy of traditional institutions.
