By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Adamawa State Government on Wednesday June 25, 2025, insisted that neither Atiku Abubakar nor any other person was targeted by the new policy on Emirate/Chiefdom titles in the State.
The Source reports that not a few watchers of events in the North East State were jolted by the news that the former Vice President has been stripped of his much cherished ” Waziri Adamawa title by the authorities on Tuesday June 24.
The Government in a circular directed Traditional Rulers in the State to exclude/remove kingmakers ,title holders ,and other traditional council members who are not indigenes of such Emirates or Chiefdoms from decision making positions
Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General Elections, who hails from Jada, in Ganye Emirate Council of the State, was installed as the 7th Waziri Adamawa by the Lamido of Adamawa in 2018.
For many years ,he held the title of “Turakin Adamawa before he was upgraded to that of Waziri.
The Government directives were contained in circular dated June 20 , 2025 and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, Adama Felicity Mamman.
“Following the creation of new Chiefdoms in the State by the Executive Governor of Adamawa State, Rt Hon. Ahmadu Umar Fintiri, I am directed to inform you that all Kingmakers and Council members in the State must be indigenes of their Chiefdoms ,e.g all Kingmakers and Council members of Adamawa Emirate must be indigenes of Yola South ,Yola North ,Girei Mayo-Belwa ,Song and Zumo Districts ,while those of Mubi Emirate Council must be indigenes of Mubi South and Mubi North ,Vis-a-vis all Emirates/Traditional Councils in the State .
“However, those appointed, or conferred with only Traditional titles are to maintain their status regardless of their Local Government of origin.
“With the content of this Circular all Kingmakers and Council members who are not indigenes of the Chiefdoms have been relieved of their appointments”, part of the Circular reads.
However, the directives have since raised considerable dusts with not a few commentators impugning political motives ,as well as the policy being targeted at some people, including Atiku Abubakar, himself a one time Governor of Adamawa State.
But reacting to the growing insinuations suggesting ulterior motives, the State Commissioner for Information, Iliya James on Wednesday noted that the policy reforms are aimed at ensuring that Emirates and Chiefdoms handle their internal affairs without outsiders coming to dictate to them.
According to him, traditional institutions in the State should be self-governing without taking directives from some powerful forces outside their domains
“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 Kingdom”, the Commissioner noted
While maintaining that the new policy wasnot targeted at any one, he emphasized that the law does not affect traditional title holders ,but Council Members who are responsible for taking, sometimes, far-reaching decisions on issues concerning the Emirates/Chiefdoms.
According to James,many prominent people, apart from Atiku Abubakar, were affected by the policy in view of the creation of new Seven Chiefdoms and Emirates in 2024 by the State Government.
“So, it is not an issue that concerns only the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Besides Atiku, many other prominent Council Members of Adamawa Emirate hail from outside by virtue of the creation of seven new Chiefdoms and Emirates last year”, the Information Commissioner noted.
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