“If Failure Was a Person, It’s Umar Ardo”: Kumangar Fires Back at SDP Candidate over Fintiri’s Book
The political atmosphere in Adamawa State took a sharp, personal turn this Tuesday as Solomon Kumangar, the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, launched a scathing verbal assault on Dr. Umar Ardo, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Adamawa state.
The feud erupted following a social media post by Ardo, which took aim at Kumangar’s recently published book titled, “Fintiri: The Man They Cannot Stop.” Ardo mocked the book, suggesting a more “accurate” title would be “Fintiri: The Man They Made Governor.”
Responding to the critique, Kumangar—the author and a staunch ally of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri—did not mince words. In a formal statement released Tuesday, he described Ardo as a “failed politician“ and a “political mercenary” whose relevance is confined to the digital space rather than the ballot box.
“This man has been contesting elections since my son was two years old,” Kumangar remarked. “Now my son is grown, and he is still contesting. If failure was a person, it is Umar Ardo.”
Kumangar challenged Ardo’s grassroots popularity, daring the former governorship candidate to test his influence at the most local level of government before criticising the success of the current administration.
Kumangar dared Ardo to sponsor a candidate for a councillorship position in Kojoli or any part of Adamawa State to see if he could secure a win.
Kumangar maintained that his book is a factual account of Fintiri’s political journey and invited Ardo to write a formal rebuttal if he found any inaccuracies.
“I have written my book. Ardo should counter me with facts if what he read is not true, rather than resorting to social media posts that only advertise his ignorance,” Kumangar stated.
At the heart of the disagreement is the narrative of Governor Fintiri’s rise to power. While Ardo’s suggested title implies that Fintiri was a product of external “kingmakers,” Kumangar dismissed the notion as a fantasy.
“I challenge Ardo to point to any person who can claim they made Fintiri the Governor of Adamawa State,” Kumangar added, emphasizing the Governor’s independent political momentum.
Umar Ardo, a perennial seeker of the state’s top office, has long been a vocal critic of the Fintiri administration. However, Kumangar’s rebuttal marks one of the most aggressive defenses of the Governor’s legacy to date, signaling a tightening of ranks as the political narrative for the state continues to be written.