2023 Adamawa guber poll, an attempt to derail democratic process – Fintiri

Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has described the 2023 Governorship election in the State as an attempt to derail democratic process.

Governor Fintiri, who said that such a political situation “was an embarrassing and dangerous assault on Nigeria’s democratic system”, cited alleged attempts by members of the political elite to undermine the will of the electorate.

Governor Fintiri made the assertion in Yola during the unveiling of a book entitled “Fintiri: The Man They Could Not Stop,” authored by veteran journalist, Solomon Kumangar.

Speaking at the event, the governor said the 2023 election exposed deep-seated treachery, moral compromise and desperate opportunism within the nation’s political class.

According to him, the conduct of the poll revealed coordinated efforts to manipulate the electoral process and subvert the collective decision of the people of Adamawa State.

“In 2023, we saw treachery, we saw assault, and we saw the moral compromise of a bankrupt elite masked as patriots.The election revealed a coordinated attempt to undermine the will of the Adamawa people through electoral manipulation”, he said.

Despite the challenges surrounding the election, Governor Fintiri said the experience ultimately highlighted the resilience, courage, and democratic consciousness of the people of Adamawa, as well as the unwavering support he received across the Country.

He explained that the book extensively documents the controversial moments of the 2023 Governorship election, particularly the unprecedented action by the then Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who was later suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Governor Fintiri recalled that Yunusa-Ari had illegally declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aishatu Binani, as winner of the election while the collation process was still ongoing, an action that was swiftly nullified by INEC’s National Headquarters.

He noted that after the completion of a lawful collation exercise, the electoral body declared him winner of the poll with approximately 431,000 votes, defeating Senator Binani, who polled about 399,000 votes.

While endorsing the book as a credible personal account of the events, the governor said others were free to document alternative perspectives, stressing that the 2023 election was not the end of the story.