In months leading to both primary and general elections, the polity is always unnecessarily supercharged with outright and blatant falsehoods as well as bogus claims of pretenders who have appointed themselves to the rank of preferred candidates. These people throw their negative and defeatist mentality about, using it to define their perennial aspirations which have been nothing short of habitual failure.
The failure of these folks is carefully staged by them and their associates to include a deliberate technical glitch that puts them at parallel with the laid down rules of their political party. The moment the full weight of the party’s laws are deployed to show them the door, they start throwing wild allegations around.
Last week in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, I heard one of the most audacious tales of self deception when one dreamy looking man was regaling his friends with tales of how Governor Ahmadu Fintiri is so afraid of a certain aspirant that he had him disqualified during the party’s screening exercise for those aspiring to fly its flag come 2023. At first, I dismissed the claim as one of those beer parlour political talk concocted to give supporters of certain aspirants the nirvana to keep hoping.
So, imagine my surprise when a friend sent me one hastily penned article purporting to insinuate that Governor Fintiri had a hand in the disqualification of Ambassador Mohammed Jameel Abubakar-Waziri. Now, I don’t hold brief for Governor Fintiri, but I dare say that it stands reason on its head to imagine that Fintiri, who roundly defeated Waziri as well as other aspirants with stellar credentials even when he was not a governor, before doing the number on an incumbent governor, will be scared of him now. What an irony!
Beside the Adamawa state governor’s factor of incumbency and growing influence within the PDP leading to his appointment as the deputy chairman of the party’s presidential screening committee, an assignment he just returned from, and his unparalleled record of achievements since ousting Governor Bindow Jibrilla, it disrupts logic to even imagine that he will choose now of all times to be so afraid of an aspirants to influence their disqualification.
People will write anything to scheme money out of politicians, especially the gullible and desperate ones who will want to gain power through the back door. Therefore, I am not surprised that some of these folks have gone to the extent of writing ego massaging and false narratives that will encourage politicians to line their pockets. I want to believe that Waziri will not subscribe to such cheap blame peddling.
I am happy that the good Waziri has approached the courts to invite PDP to explain exactly what laws he trampled on leading to his disqualification. I have said it before that the growing culture of challenging perceived wrongs in courts of competent jurisdiction is very good for our democracy. Perhaps, the pedestrian political analyst in Yola and his ilk will explain to their circle why Governor Fintiri was not listed as a defendant in the suit.
I am miffed that the governor’s media office did not see the need to unseat that very disturbing insinuation. While I understand that not everything deserves a response, that piece ought to have been shot down as swiftly as can be mustered. In an election year, everything is true until proven otherwise.
The truth remains that political parties have clear guidelines and everyone who runs foul of them should have the morality to accept responsibility or approach the court. It is cheap politics to always blame your political opponents for whatever misfortune befalls you. I don’t need to be a card carrying member of the PDP or even be in the inner circle of the party to know that Governor Fintiri does not need to engineer the disqualification of any aspirant to have the PDP ticket. But a person, who has fraudulently obtained party membership card and failed to prove to the committee his financial contribution to the party, has no business aspiring under its umbrella.
In fact, it is my belief that in the present circumstance, PDP delegates as well as party stalwarts know that Governor Fintiri is their only bet to maintain the party’s hold on power in Adamawa state. Even that alone is enough motivation to get him reelected. Add that to his unprecedented achievements as governor and you will see why it is simply preposterous to claim that the governor will stoop so low as to cause aspirants to be disqualified from participating in the party’s primary election.
Nobody is even thinking of how Fintiri will emerge flagbearer of the PDP, the general election is the major concern of the Adamawa PDP and the path is clearer that the people of the state are ready to renew their contract with Fintiri for sustainability and development.
Umaru writes from Yola, Adamawa state.
