In democratic firmament, politics has always been dismissed as a game of numbers for ages. Another thing perhaps that has not received the same kind of coverage is the fact that the political prominence, strategy, and widespread visibility of the politician are also of equal, if not more, values. This is because, numbers are themselves not cooked in isolation, but through painstaking efforts that traverse history, trust, competence, humility, empathy as well as reach, all attributes of a prominent politician. After all, as Hunter S. Thompson posits, “politics is the art of controlling your environment” It’s like a pilot taking full control of a plane.
Indeed, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state impeccably fits the above description as it concerns mastering the art of politics and navigating to not only control the government and the political milieu but to also maintain prominence and makes difference.
Governor Fintiri, over the years, has strategically upscale his political capital through a careful, deliberate and sustained approach that unites all the aforementioned qualities of a prominent politician both within the state and the national political firmament.
It’s evident that recent events give credence to his soaring personality that I’m sure must have unsettled his political opponents and those whose embryonic political psyche and unapologetic ego could not allow them to come to with realities.
Fintiri, apart from his superlative performance as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, national convention which was adjudged to be the most transparent and rancour-free in the history of Africa’s largest political party, to his recent strategic outing as the Chairman of the PDP presidential primary election screening committee, has emerged as a reliable operative for all national assignments requiring reliability, dedication, vigour and a progressive mindset anchored on integrity and tenacity.
In fact, this signature dedication to duty and the deep sense of responsibility was also the reason Nigeria’s president in-waiting, Atiku Abubakar, appointed him to lead his reconciliation team to interface with its counterpart that will convey the grievances of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state. The expectation is that Fintiri will find a common ground from where all differences will be resolved for the benefit of the party and everyone involved.
AUF, as he’s fondly called, possesses rare leadership qualities among his equal. The unprecedented and unmatched transformation that has taken place in Adamawa state under his stewardship in just less than a four year term, has portrayed his uniqueness and synonymous with greatness and face-lifting. Though, he became a governor at a time where the state and the country are battling with economic and security challenges, he was within a very short time been able to write his name in the sand of history.
Fintiri’s predecessors should forgive my bold and daring positing of facts, he has undoubtedly over shadowed all those who governed before him and his remarkable feats have outweighed what has been done by all of them put together.
The prevailing political permutations in the state anchored by governor Fintiri aren’t only projecting the PDP in the state but in the whole nation. No wonder then, governor Fintiri was recently at the forefront of receiving the close to two hundred thousand decampees from APC in an event in the state that boasts of PDP national leaders led by Atiku Abubakar, the national chairman of the party as well as many other party stalwarts.
And in what appears a masterstroke, Governor Fintiri recently chose the female vice-chancellor of Adamawa State University (ADSU) Mubi and erstwhile Commissioner for Education, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, as his running mate in the 2023 election. Political pundits have described that move as a blow below the belt to those who have been pushing the feminine agenda to garner whatever support they could for the embattle Binani whose political stocks continue to plummet by the day.
It amounts to naivety to compete against such an enigmatic operative. With one stroke of the brush, he has repainted his re-election campaign with a new colour that not only makes it shine brighter, but answers the veritable questions of affirmative action for women groups. Prof. Kelatapwa brings even more. She has been grounded in the development plan of the state and as an erudite academic, she understands just what is required to better serve the people of Adamawa state and deliver robust dividends of democracy.
Adamawa state has indeed given governor Fintiri a platform to serve and he has given even much more back to the people through a resilient approach that has positioned him as the go-to person for national conversations. The true value of this network will become clear when another illustrious son of the state in Atiku Abubakar is sworn in as Nigeria’s next president.
Today, the state has become an arena of project’s commissioning ceremonies, the new face of Adamawa with state of the art infrastructures, needs to not be consolidated, but sustained beyond 2023 with the same pilot, Governor Fintiri. Thus, the 2019 contract is a success story which would be renewed in 2023.
Mohammed writes from Abuja
