In a move stirring political and cultural ripples across Adamawa State, the government has revoked the prestigious traditional title of Waziri Adamawa from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The decision, formally communicated in a government circular dated June 20, 2025, comes in the wake of a newly introduced indigeneship policy reshaping eligibility for traditional titles within the emirate councils. The circular, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftancy Affairs, Mrs. Adama Felicity Mamman stated that the title revocation is part of a wider overhaul of traditional institutions prompted by the recent creation of new chiefdoms under Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri's administration.
Once regarded as the second most powerful traditional title in the Adamawa Emirate after the Lamido, the Waziri title now falls under a more restrictive rule: only individuals from specific districts, Yola South, Yola North, Girei, Mayo-Belwa, Song, and Zumo, are now eligible for emirate council roles. Atiku hails from Jada Local Government Area, a part of the Ganye Chiefdom, thereby disqualifying him under the new guidelines.
The government insists the policy is an administrative measure aimed at aligning traditional leadership structures with newly defined local jurisdictions. However, it also applies broadly to all traditional titleholders whose origins lie outside the designated areas, potentially affecting several high-profile figures.
Still, the timing and political undertones of the decision have fueled speculation. Atiku and Governor Fintir, both key figures in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 elections, have grown increasingly distant in recent months. Atiku's recent engagements with prominent national figures like Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Senator Aishatu Binani have sparked talk of a budding opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Further complicating matters in a controversial bill under review by the Adamawa State House of Assembly. The proposed legislation would empower the governor to remove and appoint traditional rulers deemed "unfit," Critics argue the bill risks centralizing too much power in the executive and could undermine the independence and cultural integrity of the state's traditional institutions.
While the government maintains the reforms are necessary for streamlining governance, many view the revocation of Atiku's title as both a symbolic and strategic move with broader political implications.