Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has denied that the new chieftaincy policy issued by his administration was designed to strip former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of his traditional title, Wazirin Adamawa.

Fintiri spoke on Wednesday following a circular issued by the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, which mandates the removal of kingmakers and council members who are not indigenes of the local governments in which they serve.

The directive, which surfaced last week, has stirred political controversy, with some interpreting it as a direct move against Atiku, who hails from Jada in Ganye Emirate but was honoured with the Wazirin Adamawa title by the Lamido of Adamawa in 2018.

“The policy was not targeted at anyone, and no one has been removed from any office or title,” Fintiri said according to a report by Premium Times. He emphasised that only Lamido, the traditional head of the Adamawa Emirate, could determine whether the policy affects Atiku.

A government official also clarified that while the new rule bars non-indigenes from holding council or kingmaker roles, it does not revoke honorary titles. “The policy did not say he cannot be Waziri,” the official said.

At a press briefing, State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Iliya James, explained that the reforms seek to modernise traditional governance, resolve long-standing disputes, and ensure that key positions are held by persons indigenous to the areas they represent.

James said the policy was necessary to address irregularities, such as individuals from one emirate serving as kingmakers in another, and that similar anomalies had contributed to crises in chiefdoms like Mbula in the past.

“The reforms are not politically motivated. We want transparency, order, and compliance with the cultural and legal norms of Adamawa State,” James said.

An official of the Adamawa Emirate Council, speaking off the record, noted that Atiku’s appointment in 2018 may have deviated from the emirate’s long-standing convention that requires blood ties to the emirate, usually through the maternal line.

The government reiterated that those currently holding titles can retain them but must renounce roles that contradict the new eligibility criteria.

The clarification is to lessen the political tension in the state and across the country, especially among Atiku’s supporters, some of whom had viewed the move as a political attack.