You hear them complaining Fintiri, Fintiri. But Fintiri isn’t a programme. Spell out your programme, package your manifesto that will be appealing to, tell the common man in the state what to expect from you – Fintiri
By Adamu Muhammad Dodo
The illogical, incoherent, diatribe of a piece credited to the Adamawa state governor, Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri as alleged, ethnocentric-suffocates rather than freshens the 2023 electioneering atmosphere in the state, although one of the media aids to the governor, Mr Solomon Kumangar denied the knowledge thereof.
It was earlier reported that Governor Fintiri had acknowledged that criticisms, though constructive, would serve as a window for improvement in the area(s) challenged by malnourishment, hence a welcomed development to his government. Holding on to this, suggests a contradiction between the government that hitherto welcomed criticism(s) and the governor that laments blames against, even though, a system led by the same person. This makes a good paradox, should a literary theorist identify rhetorical figure or figurative expression contained therein the piece.
According to the governor, “You hear them complaining Fintiri, Fintiri. But Fintiri isn’t a programme. Spell out your programme, package your manifesto that will be appealing to, tell the common man in the state what to expect from you”.
You read the diatribe complaining about Jamilu Zubairu’s contest, when, to borrow from Fintiri’s, Zubairu isn’t a programme, the aristocratic politician is simply in this context, a contestant, the piece ought to have concentrated on how Fintiri would remain an indefatigable and incontestable, tested and trusted candidate for having good taste; issue based, manifesto based, rather than personality attacks. Another paradox.
Fintiri was said to have invited credible candidates who think are more capable within the PDP to flex the political muscles at the gubernatorial primary election, why then is this Fintiri favoured piece nursed with bitterness the suffocating air about Zubairu’s fresh response to the challenge and people’s call for a participatory democracy, suggestive of politics without bitterness? Doesn’t this make another paradox?
I couldn’t readily get to rich out to Jamilu Zubairu, his associate I’ve had the pleasure interacting with however, revealed that Zubairu has got no time joining issue with the mumbo jumbo of a diatribe, lest he would need his head examined.
Does this implied that the anonymous author and/or sponsor of the diatribe went berserk, therefore would require his head examined, Zubairu would recommend?
In the concluding part of the previous piece, I pointed out that “the governor would have been claimed by the very same intercourse with negativity he publicly punctured, should he truly in lament accused the aristocratic Jalimu Zubairu of being a sponsored mercenary for reintroducing Fulani hegemony in the state, while still arguing that the Fulani in Adamawa represent elements of disunity as an end in themselves with their political infighting that begets impeachment and lack of support for one another in pursuit of a common political goal, as alleged”.
Media aid to the governor however denied that his principal would stoop so low to issue the illogical and incoherent piece of a diatribe.
According to the diatribe: “The sudden appearance of Jamilu Zubairu again on the political stage, is not normal politicking. Jamilu tested defeat in 2019 and resolved not to try again”.
Didn’t PMB test defeats and called it quit only to be called back by the shortchanged majority who contributed in sponsoring the project to success? What’s the fuss about Zubairu recontesting, hearkening to the popular electorates’ call for credible governance?
“But this time, Jamilu is not contesting freely but is sponsored by a so called ‘bigman’ from a very far State in the North, where he could not save his godson from impeachment. But he is determined to install Jamilu on Adamawa people simply because his contest is laced with ethnic coloration. But what is the percentage of voting Fulani population in Adamawa?
Have all the fulani’s endorsed Jamilu?” the diatribe would allege.
Is there any state having Fulani speaking people better than Adamawa? Is the so-called bigman sponsor of Zubairu from a very far State in the North more influential than all the Fulani elites in Adamawa? Is Adamawa state not part of the North any longer and/or is the very far State in the North being occupied mainly by the Fulani speaking people? Was there no report that it was some concerned electorates that are sponsoring Fintiri by securing an expression of intent form?
“The irony here is, two Fulani desperate aspirants from different political parties could not reach consensus to support a fellow to win but poised to individually unseat a sitting Governor! It’s ridiculous”.
Notice the contradiction here again. How can the kinsmen who are world apart, working against each other, work on reintroducing Fulani hegemony in Adamawa. Or is the struggle to take over the mantle of leadership from Fintiri has anything to do with Fulani hegemony as the diatribe of a piece insinuated? Hadn’t Fintiri himself struggled to take over from a former governor? Was the change of leadership dressed in any ethnic regalia?
Besides, the two Fulani politicians being referred to, belong to different political parties working on winning the primary elections in their different parties. How does this amount to their disunity in their individual struggles?
The diatribe further alleged that: “Both Nuhu Ribadu, who is politically exposed and Jamilu Zubairu from late Waziri Mallu Hamman family are only Fulanis by name but have never benefitted their kinsmen. Some of Jamilu’s family members don’t even know him. He care the less”.
What libel! A malicious attack on personalities rather than issue based. Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the antigraft tsar is unarguably, a multiple awards winning international figure on integrity index who sacrificed substantial parts of his time and life working on restoring the integrity of the country globally, who contributed and is still contributing not just to his family but humanity in general. His interventions on societal re-engeneering, and socioeconomic schemes are for heavenly rewards, hence remain not to be publicised. As a pen professional, I personally know of his substantial interventions, in healthcare and welfare; a brother I so much respect and will recommend.
Isn’t it a contradiction to also say that Zubairu is unpopular among his family members he cares less about, yet he is working on the script to reintroduce Fulani hegemony, are the “abandoned” members of his family not among the Fulani to benefit from the alleged hegemony?
The diatribe continues: “Jamilu of all people, that worked in the villa, is now teleguided by one Abdu Dollar, who made some stipends from oil bunkering in Riverine areas of the South South”.
Is Abdu Dollar who hails from Adamawa, whose philanthropic intervention in water supply in Yola South and beyond abandoned by government, in healthcare, renovating schools and sponsoring indigent education, in addition to other social welfare schemes the bigman from the very far north, sponsor of Zubairu for the reintroduction of Fulani hegemony? Or does the “unpopular” Zubairu have multiple sponsors, including of course his family members? Mark another paradox.
“As for us applauding the developmental strides of Governor Fintiri in Adamawa, our senses cannot be beclouded by any ethnic chauvinism at this moment. We are witnessing developments in Adamawa under Fintiri in all sectors in Just two years.
“Alh. Jamilu was in the villa as Protocol while his boss Ambassador Hassan Tukur held sway. Both of them are of Fulani extraction and they played vital role in sponsoring the impeachment of former Governor Nyako. We have not forgotten that. Or is it that Jamilu Zubairu is now more Fulani than Nyako? Or is it now that ethnic solidarity will come to play in our politics”.
So it was the same Fulani who would have helped in building Fulani hegemony that destroyed its very foundation by sponsoring legislative coup against Governor Nyako. “Wasn’t it Fintiri as Speaker of the State Assembly the mastermind of the Nyako impeachment when he should have shielded the man of honour that brought him to political space from embarrassment?” The Fulbe youth group would argue. Or is Fintiri part of the script for the reintroduction of the alleged Fulani hegemony, bearing in mind that the term “Fulani” or “Hausa-Fulani is synonymous with “Muslims?” An electorate Joseph Tizhe would ask.
“For the umpteenth time, 1000 of Jamilu will be defeated by His Excellency, Governor Fintiri before noon. The good people of Adamawa are behind our workaholic Governor at all times. We shall always pray for a successful second term for our performing Governor. All good contenders are advised to sheath their ambition to 2027 but we will teach the defrauders and detractors a lesson they will live to remember in Adamawa”, the diatribe concluded.
Who are the “we” referring to in the anonymous piece? Why does the diatribe develop venomous pleasure maligning against the “Fulani” governorship aspirants even when the target of attacks is Jamilu Zubairu, a contender to challenge the sitting governor at the PDP gubernatorial primary election…?
To be continued…
Dodo writes from Yola.
