By Barnabas Manyam (In Yola, Adamawa State)
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has described the 2023 gubernatorial election in the state as one of the most dangerous assaults on Nigeria's democracy.
He revealed that the electoral battle exposed treachery, moral compromise, and desperate opportunism among the political elites in Nigeria.
Speaking at Muna Hotel in Yola Adamawa state, while unveiling a public presentation of a book titled "Fintiri: The Man They Could Not Stop" written by veteran journalist Solomon Kumangar, the Governor reflected on what he called an orchestrated attempt to undermine the will of Adamawa people through electoral manipulation.
"In 2023, we saw treachery. We saw assault. We saw moral compromise of a bankrupt elite masked as patriots," Governor Fintiri told a gathering of dignitaries at the event.
The Governor, who confessed he had not read the book despite his name and face appearing on the cover, endorsed author Solomon Kumangar's journalistic account while acknowledging its limitations.
The book focuses heavily on the controversial 2023 Adamawa gubernatorial election, which saw dramatic scenes when suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner Hudu Yunusa-Ari illegally declared the APC candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, as winner before collation was completed—a move swiftly nullified by the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Governor Fintiri eventually secured victory with approximately 431,000 votes, defeating Binani who garnered about 399,000 votes.
Former Senate President and Kwara State one time Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, described the book as a critical documentation of leadership that places people above power.
Saraki, who spoke on protecting electoral sanctity in Nigeria, said the writing of the book was not an exercise in comfort but an act of faith in truth, history, and the enduring value of leadership.
"This book, 'Fintiri: The Man They Could Not Stop,' did not begin as an idea in search of expression. It began as a responsibility and obligation to history," Saraki stated.
The former Senate President emphasized that the book rejected flattery and embraced evidence, noting that Governor Fintiri required no chorus of praise as his record stood as a more exacting witness. NNL.
