Adamawa State: Party loyalty pays-off for Fintiri

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Rt. Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is the governor elect of Adamawa State. He is not a green horn in Adamawa politics as he was a member of the State House of Assembly, and was appointed the Speaker of the House.

He had his first shot at power when he became the acting Governor of Adamawa State upon the impeachment of the then goveror, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd) n July 2014.

His 86 days stay at the Dougeri Government House as acting Governor was eventful. He described his memories on the driver’s seat of power as unregretably interesting.

A court ruling asked him to vacate Government House for Bala James Ngilari who was the deputy to Nyako.

After leaving office, he reverted back to his position as the Speaker, Adamawa House of Assembly and at the end of the tenure of the administration, he faced his political career squarely and was relevant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

When the opportunity came in 2018 as part of build up to the 2019 General election, he threw his heart into the ring by contesting and winning the party’s primary in which majority of the contenders including Ngilari stepped down for him and he emerged the PDP standard bearer.

Fintiri was in the lead as the results of the March 9 governorship election trickled in before the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the governorship election inconclusive.

The number of cancelled votes was said to have been more than the margin between the winner and his close opponent.

Upon completion of the March 28 supplementary polls, Fintiri was declared winner of the election after having secured 376,552 votes to defeat incumbent Governor Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 336,386 votes.

Fintiri has remained a committed member of the PDP and has remained in the party even when some party stalwarts jumped out of the party.

Though he is an admirer of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar but he refused to follow Atiku to the APC as some others did before returning back to the PDP.

He eventually reaped the gains of his commitment by picking PDP governorship ticket without much trouble.

As a politician who is versed in the workings of both the legislative and executive arms of government, his tenure is expected to witness a harmonious relationship of both arms for a seamless governance.

He was born on October 27, 1967 in Gulak, Madagali Local Government of Adamawa State.

He attended Central Primary School, Gulak from 1975 to 1981, Government Day Secondary School, Gulak and Government Secondary School, Michika from 1981 to 1986.

He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Policy and Strategic Studies from University of Maiduguri in 2004 after his First Degree in History from the same University in 1992.

He was elected to represent Madagali Constituency, Adamawa State House of Assembly in 2007 and re-elected in 2011.

He held several positions in the Assembly until he was elected Speaker and he held unto that position till 2015.