A new circular issued by the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs mandates that only indigenes can serve as kingmakers or council members within their local emirates or chiefdoms. The result? Atiku Abubakar, who was elevated to Waziri in 2018, no longer qualifies under the indigene rule. He’s from Jada in Ganye Emirate, not the Adamawa Emirate where the title resides.
- Atiku stripped of Waziri title after policy shift favouring only local indigenes.
- Circular signed 19 June; enforced immediately across Adamawa’s traditional institutions.
- Exemptions made for purely honorary titles—Waziri isn’t one of them.
- Governor Fintiri’s team says the move ensures loyalty, not politics.
- Seven new emirates were created last December, increasing ethnic sensitivities.
- Atiku’s camp says they weren’t informed of the change.
This isn’t just about a title, it’s about belonging. The circular rewrites tradition using a bureaucratic pen, pushing Atiku outside a council that once defined his cultural authority. Whether it's political or not, it narrows the room for symbolic power, especially ahead of the 2027 shuffle.
