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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been stripped of the Waziri Adamawa title in a sweeping directive by the Adamawa State Government.
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A government circular cited “non-indigeneship” as grounds, barring non-natives from holding positions in Emirate Councils.
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The move is widely seen as politically motivated, coming amid Atiku’s talks with rivals to unseat Tinubu in 2027.
In a move that has rattled Nigeria’s political and traditional landscape, the Adamawa State Government has stripped former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of his revered traditional title, Waziri Adamawa, citing newly enforced indigene requirements for Emirate Council members.
The decision, conveyed in a circular dated June 20, 2025, and signed by Mrs. Adama Felicity Mamman, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, follows a state policy change under Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
“All Kingmakers and Council members in the state must be indigene of their Chiefdoms,” the letter read, naming specific eligible districts, and effectively disqualifying Atiku, who hails from Jada LGA under Ganye Chiefdom.
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The Waziri Adamawa is the second most influential traditional office in the Adamawa Emirate Council, under the Lamido of Adamawa. The removal is seen by many as an orchestrated political blow to Atiku—delivered by a former ally turned rival.
Sources link the timing of the directive to Atiku’s recent political activities, including coalition talks with Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Senator Aishatu Binani, aimed at building a strong opposition front for the 2027 presidential election.
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