1 month ago
3
By Tom Garba
It is two years few months to the 2027 general elections when the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections will be conducted.
The Governor of Adamawa State, Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri,CON has already gave a glimpse of who would succeed him as the next governor of the state.
An Adamawa grassroots politician, Mohammed Abdullahi Dantsoho recalled with nostalgia, the statement by Governor Fintiri while addressing 226 wards chairmen and local and state executive members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on a solidarity visit to him at Government House, Yola:
“My successor must be a grassroot politician,” was quoted to have said.
READ ALSO: Pereira makes weight for UFC defence under new rules
Dantsoho in a chat with our correspondent in Yola praised Fintiri’s foresight and his political acumen to build an energetic party system in the state by asserting that a grassroot politician is what will suit the political administration of the state.
According to Dantsoho, one of the reasons Governor Fintiri won his first and second bids it’s because of his grassroots intuitiveness to politics and adamant in rooting out his political ideas, ideals with people at the grassroots.
Dantsoho therefore said Fintiri has hinted the people of Adamawa the kind of person they should rally round and jettison political jobbers who are merchants, merchandising others to make gains.
He said the names of people already making waves, ambitious of occupying the Adamawa State Government House like Senator Ishaku Abbo, Dr Maurice Vunobolki, Honorable Adamu Atiku Abubakar, Hon Wafari Theman, Abdulrahaman Bashir Haske, Hon Wakili Boya and Senator Iya Abbas are known grassroots politicians who have paid the price over the years.
He gave example of Abbo who is a former senator who won election twice, Maurice who over a decade contested the governorship office as still having network of politicians across the 21 LGAs.
Dantsoho also as potential successor Bashir Haske who over the years has been building empire of youths across the state, empowering on diverse needs, Iya Abbas, a sitting Senator who served a four year term as Speaker of Adamawa Assembly, Hon. Boya who is making waves in Fufore and Song Federal constituency at the National Assembly, and, Adamu Atiku Abubakar whose commissionership office is more of serving the government and the people at the grassroot .
According to him, the lists is of potential governor is endless while there are a few others parading themselves but does not have the quality of a grassroot politician.
Tracing the history of journey into the Adamawa State Government House, he said no governor came on the plater of gold, as records shows that past governors are grassroots politicians .
He said in 1999 Boni Haruna first tenure was because of Atiku Abubakar’s grassroot connections and he consolidated his second tenure because he served the grassroots people.
He also revealed that Murtala Nyako despite the imposition by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo through the instrumental influence of Senator Jibril Aminu, his support for the grassroots as a mechanized farmer gave him an edge.
“While Muhammadu Jibrilla Bindow served the people of Adamawa State as a Senator from the Northern zone, a touch of grassroots connection really helped him,” he said.
He said Fintiri only assured PDP members to present a grassroot politician that they may like and probably have him win the ticket during party’s internal politics (Primaries).
Aside, he said Governor Fintiri don’t have a hundred percent control of who succeed him because of the divergence interest of political stakeholders of the state.
“Fintiri’s story of how he became the governor in 2019 and how he narrowly won the election in 2023, one will only agree that it’s a God factor that played out behind the scene as stakeholders of both parties supported him because he has been a grassroot politician,” Dantsoho stated
He, however, sounded a note of warning that should Governor have the opportunity to decide who will succeed him, he should be weary of backing a candidate who is not a grassroot politician.
“From 1999 to date no governor I did not campaign for to win the election in Adamawa State. They have always been rooted in the grassroot, we know them and they know us. We know their antecedents before going into the election and we can tell who they are and the possibility of them winning the election all because they are politicians with grassroot affinity,” Dantsoho said.
English (US) ·