DOCTOR ALI DANBURAM, YOU ARE THE GOVERNOR’S TRUSTED PARTNER; THANK YOU
Adamawa State’s current crop of politicians has spent a lot of time and energy trying to prove they can be counted on. Adamawa’s own Dr. Ali Danburam, a medical doctor turned politician, has spoken and shown everything.
His understanding of the ever-changing political landscape in Adamawa makes him an invaluable addition to Governor Fintiri’s administration. Voting patterns and the outcomes of the recent governorship elections show that voters are divided over policy issues or competing visions of society.
We saw bare strength and naked ambition to win the election at whatever cost. Social media users are outraged by Hudu Yunusa’s illegal declaration of the opposition candidate.
The famous heroes who saved us from the disaster of having a slacker imposed on the people are practically forgotten. One could argue that the election should be won by a landslide with the governor’s appointees, but they would be forgetting that there is always a Judas Iscariot in every 12. This would be the outcome of questionable and the competency and allegiance of some of the governor’s appointees.
The remaining local government votes were razor thin in comparison to the vote inflations on the REC order, which were eventually exposed via a phone call between Fufore’s returning officer and Yunusa Hudu Ari, but politicians from Madagali, Hong, Demsa, Lamurde, Numan, and Michika surprised me by coming to the rescue.
During their chat, Hudu confused the Furfore RO for Gombi’s. The fact that the governor’s opponent was able to use some RO to pad their numbers shows how vulnerable he is. In this election, Governor Fintiri had a commanding lead but due to inflations carried out by the majority of the RO to support the opposition close the wide margin.
In this election, the majority of the governor’s appointees, especially those who are watching, have had their loyalty called into question, and their respective units, wards, and councils have been taken over by the opposition. Before and after the election, we were aware of Dr. Ali Danbuaram’s sacrifice.
Recognising all of the people who contributed to the PDP’s victory in Madagali is essential. The selflessness shown by Dr. Danburam is unprecedented. The opposition could not have taken advantage of the appointees’ vulnerability to inflate votes in the council region if they had all made this effort.
It would not surprise me if the governor asked for or got rid of some of the appointees who have been nothing but headache for him; the results of this election proved that some of them are not qualified for the jobs they have and have been underperforming and alienating a wide range of constituencies.
You can’t put too much stock in a politician who uses doublespeak or makes vague promises like the “public welfare,” “common good,” or “meaningful service,” believe me. In fact, it’s important to be sceptical of whatever a politician says by default.
We are well-versed enough in political realities to deduce the governor’s appointees’ true motivations for their acts. Our political system has been captured by celebrity politicians.
The dominance of Judas Iscariot in the ruling party of Adamawa, as plotted by the saboteurs, dampens the enthusiasm of the opposition and makes it harder for them to change the outcome of the elections.
Because compromised institutions are less inclined to investigate and prosecute abuses of power as done by Yunusa Ari, impunity flourishes in such an environment.
Power concentration has a corrosive effect on democratic values and norms. In a well-functioning democracy, power is shared, and checks and balances are in place to avoid wrongdoing.
The stability of democratic procedures and norms may be at risk when power is centralised. As the democratic fabric frays, it becomes easier for those in close proximity to leaders to betray them for small gain.
Only from within Adamawa can there be genuine reform. While acknowledging that politics involves competing interests, the people of Adamawa should make it clear that Fintiri’s governments exist primarily to benefit those of Adamawa.
What happened in Adamawa is a direct result of our petty, transactional politics. Our entire political system, unfortunately, is permeated by this kind of politics. Machiavelli and even Marx agree that this is inevitable in politics because of the necessity of coalition building.
Politicians of all stripes, even those who seem most dedicated to the people they claim to serve, can betray them. Recently, in the Adamawa 2023 governorship contest, this happened to me, and it had a profound effect on me.
Nonetheless, I’m better for having gone through what I did. Dr. Ali Danburam has proven himself to be an honest and trustworthy friend of the governor.
Returning to an ethics-based politics, in which they always do the right thing in the right way to accomplish the right result, is a challenge for both centrist and progressive political parties.
By Solomon Kumangar.
DG communication to Governor Finitiri.