The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has spoken on his directive to remove kingmakers and members of traditional councils who are not indigenes of the areas where they hold the positions.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the directive, issued through a circular dated 19 June and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, Adama Felicity Mamman, stripped former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the traditional title of Wazirin Adamawa, which he has held since 2018.

Atiku was conferred the title by the Lamido of Adamawa in the Adamawa Emirate, whereas he is from Jada in the Ganye Emirate.

Reacting to the report on Wednesday in a telephone conversation with PREMIUM TIMES, Governor Fintiri said the policy was not targeted at Atiku or any title holder.

“The policy was not targeted at anyone, and no one has been removed from any office or title,” the governor said.

When asked how the policy specifically applied to Atiku, the governor said only the Lamido of Adamawa could determine the status of the title and how the new policy affects Atiku.

“Wazirin Adamawa is just a title, and no law makes the holder a kingmaker, a member of the Adamawa Emirate Council or the second in command to the Lamido,” he said.

“Whether it is right or correct for someone to be a kingmaker or council member where they are not an indigene is left for each chiefdom to determine in line with the Adamawa

State laws and the policy just released. The chiefdoms must decide if they complied with the new policy.”

When PREMIUM TIMES spoke with another government official, he said the policy would not lead to the removal of Atiku if the Lamido determines that the title is honorary and does not connote membership of the traditional council.

“The policy did not say he cannot be the Waziri, it only says you cannot be a kingmaker or member of a traditional council where you are not an indigene,” the official, who declined to be named, said.

This newspaper also contacted an official of the Adamawa Emirate Council, who agreed to speak only off the record because the Lamido did not authorise them.

According to the official, the emirate’s convention allows an individual from outside the emirate who is related to it on the maternal side to take the title of Waziri.

“In the case of Atiku, it was former Governor Bindow (Mohammed Jibrilla) who allowed the Lamido to violate the emirate’s existing convention as Atiku is not related to the emirate by blood,” the official said.

Speaking in the same vein at a press briefing on Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Iliya James, said the chieftaincy law was passed to clarify the composition and eligibility of kingmakers.

The commissioner said the controversial circular states “that people who were given titles under the current setup will continue to hold them; however, their kingmaker duties must be renounced so that the true indigenes of the local governments concerned can be selected as kingmakers.”

“We are all aware that there are kingmakers, but there is no provision outlining the eligibility of council members, for example, as existed prior to this modification. A person from Mubi may be appointed as a kingmaker in the Adamawa emirate council despite not being a resident of the Adamawa emirate council’s local governments. This is one of the peculiarities that the new amendment tries to address.

“We have over 100 kingmakers ranging from Adamawa emirate to Mubi emirate to Ganye to Numan, among others, thus it is pointless to claim that the new rule is aimed at a specific individual of Adamawa state. The traditional institution was established by the state parliament and is administered by the state government, with the governor’s role to enact laws that benefit the people of Adamawa.

Read the full text of the commissioner’s speech at the press briefing below.

The Adamawa State Government wishes to categorically clarify that recent activities and reforms within the Traditional and Chieftaincy Affairs sector are not directed at any individual or group. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to strengthen and modernise traditional institutions in alignment with constitutional roles and cultural preservation.

It has come to the government’s attention that certain narratives in the public space suggest that recent decisions concerning chieftaincy matters are politically motivated or aimed at specific persons. We firmly refute these claims. The government remains committed to upholding transparency, fairness, and due process in all traditional and administrative matters.

READ ALSO: Adamawa govt. strips Atiku of traditional title of Wazirin Adamawa

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has consistently emphasised the importance of preserving Adamawa’s rich cultural heritage while ensuring that traditional rulers operate within the framework of law and accountability. The ongoing reviews are intended to improve coordination, resolve long-standing disputes, and promote unity within the traditional institutions, not to marginalise or punish any individual. In the current Law under review, even a Yoruba or Ibo man can become a kingmaker or a council member in Adamawa State.

Part of the current bill before the Adamawa State House of Assembly concerns the nomination of a substitute in the event of a Chief’s illness, while the other concerns the makeup of kingmakers. Prior to this review, all the legislations that govern Adamawa State’s traditional institutions were outdated until the current administration took office.

We all recall the vacuum left when the late Murum Mbula became ill and went to seek medical treatment abroad. The council of chiefs had to use an authority they lacked to designate his younger brother as a placeholder until the king returned, which threw the entire chiefdom into disorder. The crisis was resolved only after the State Government’s timely intervention. This is also part of the state government’s decision to pursue a statute to regulate the chiefdom if necessary.

The second law deals with the composition of the kingmakers. We are all aware that there are kingmakers, but there is no provision outlining the eligibility of council members, for example, as existed prior to this modification. A person from Mubi may be appointed as a kingmaker in the Adamawa emirate council despite not being a resident of the Adamawa emirate council’s local governments. This is one of the peculiarities that the new amendment tries to address.

We have over 100 kingmakers ranging from Adamawa emirate to Mubi emirate to Ganye to Numan, among others, thus it is pointless to claim that the new rule is aimed at a specific individuals of Adamawa state. The traditional institution was established by the state parliament and is administered by the state government, with the governor’s role to enact laws that benefit the people of Adamawa.

Finally, the letter written by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is self-explanatory, which even an elementary school student can read and understand. Why the letter announce the new reforms? The letter further states that people who were given titles under the current setup will continue to hold them; however, their kingmaker duties must be renounced so that the true indigenes of the local governments concerned can be selected as kingmakers.

We urge the public to disregard unfounded reports and instead support the government’s efforts to enhance the integrity and functionality of our traditional structures. Misinformation only serves to create unnecessary tension and divert attention from the real goals of peace, development, and cultural preservation.