By Uke John (Jnr)
If you’re an unbiased watcher of politics in Nigeria, you will admire some governors in spite of one of the worst political eras of our time. One such governor is the gov of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who won federal govt award twice in opposition.
Fintiri performed so well as an opposition PDP that most political analysts wondered why such a Frontline governor who was seen as Mr. fixer could quit his party for a ruling party that he decimated in his state to oblivion.
Whether the gov got his arithmetic correct is the reason he is walking the tight rope today.
Sources explained that gov Fintiri as PDP gov became a hero of his people and showed exceptional political skills convoluting his support base in to a consolidated majority. One of the ways he achieved this was by releasing majority of tribal minorities from cultural bondage that they were subjected to for decades.
These minorities as history shows are actually majority in terms numerical strength in the state but were suppressed for so long that the sudden freedom from the governor genuinely swept them away like a whirlwind making them see him as a savior but this didn’t come without a price. The price was a defining moment for the governor’s turn around as the people quickly owned him but extorted a very powerful political commitment from him to ensure one of theirs continues to sit on the powerful political stool of the state.
The commitment was for him to in turn enjoy unsolicited support as the leader of the majority who have continued to insist they’re the only indigenous peoples of the state. Facts show that these indigenous peoples are over 85 ethnic groups and had been living in what’s now called Adamawa since 1750!
In spite of this rollercoaster political clout that made his party, the PDP to sweep all oppositions to the dustbin in the state, gov Fintiri still moved the entire PDP party structure to APC that was almost nonexistent in his state.
It is this act that left pundits wondering what was the calculation? And while analysts were cracking their heads president Tinubu himself welcomed Fintiri into the party as the leader of the party.
The question is, did gov Fintiri entered a trap? Because today, the gov no doubt is caught between his enormous support base who are demanding he keeps his promise to give them the first position in the state as his successor while on the other hand, a tiny but powerful clan that has for so long entrenched herself in the corridors of the Nigeria presidency has been manipulating to grab the governorship and consolidate their hold on the state. Yeah, this is politics you will not know when it turns sour.
The question is, who will blink first? Will Fintiri succumb to the powers in the presidency or will he keep his word to his overwhelming supporters who are not ready to allow power to slip back in to the hands of the few they have considered as their traducers?
If you watch carefully, tension has already started mounting over the primaries. The ethnic nationalities or groups are saying democracy is about the majority, it is not bought, it’s not about race, it’s not about primordial legacies therefore, they are in the majority and enough is enough.
APC must exercise restrain because Adamawa has had it’s fair share of political misdemeanor that were capable exploding uncontrollably. In 2023 there was attempt to snatch power from the present incumbent by force. What the people fear most today is the repeat of this dastardly act during primaries.
Already, there are whispers that the primaries have been fixed. This rumour be diffused by insisting that the leader of the party in the state who is not contesting again should ensure a level playing ground for all to test their popularity.
As it stands now is somehow gathering legitimacy and majority minorites are on edge while the powerful small minority are flexing muscles and taunting!
Uke John (Jnr) wrote in from Jalingo
