National
Chieftaincy Reforms: Atiku Mum As Adamawa Govt Denies Targeting Him
By Benjamin Abioye

The Adamawa State Government has denied targeting Atiku Abubakar in its recent unfolded reforms of the chieftaincy system in the state saying that the new measures were introduced to strengthen local autonomy.
The Adamawa State Government said that the recent chieftaincy reform is not meant to go against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Some people had thought the new rule was a way to reduce Atiku’s influence because he is not originally from the Adamawa Emirate but holds the title of Waziri Adamawa.
The new reform stops non-indigenes from becoming council members in emirates and chiefdoms. This has caused some public debate. On Wednesday, the state’s Commissioner of Information, Iliya James, explained that the reform is about helping emirates and chiefdoms run their affairs on their own. He said it is not good for people who are not from a kingdom to be the ones choosing who becomes king or making other important decisions.
“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,” he said.
He also made it clear that the reform is not aimed at title holders like Atiku, but at council members who play a key role in decision-making within traditional institutions.
Atiku is not the only non-indigene with a position in the Adamawa Emirate Council. Others include well-known people like businessman Abdulkadir Aminu Mbamba, who is Wali Adamawa; Justice Nathan Musa, who is Wakili Alkalan Adamawa; and former Speaker James Barka, who is Agatakarda Adamawa.
All three of them come from Hong Local Government Area. This area used to be under the Adamawa Emirate until November 2024, when it became part of the new Huba Chiefdom after the government created seven new emirates and chiefdoms.
The issue became widely known late on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, when news of the government’s circular about the new reform was made public.
Meanwhile, Atiku has yet to respond to the storm over the Adamawa Chieftaincy reforms.
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