Opinion: Fintiri’s fresh air and Galadima’s continuity

By Humwashi Wonosikou

Seven years after Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri introduced his Fresh Air agenda, Adamawa State stands at another political crossroads, with the future of his administration’s development projects emerging as a central issue ahead of the 2027 governorship election. APC candidate Tijjani Aminu Galadima has placed continuity at the heart of his campaign, promising to build on the outgoing governor’s legacy.

When Fintiri assumed office in 2019, he promised a different approach to governance under his administration’s Fresh Air agenda. His government subsequently embarked on road construction, urban renewal, educational reforms, healthcare interventions and public service improvements.

The flyovers and road networks in Yola have become prominent symbols of that agenda. Investments in schools, public infrastructure and the payment of salaries and pensions have also featured prominently in the administration’s account of its achievements.

Yet the true measure of any administration extends beyond physical structures. It lies in whether public investments improve living standards, strengthen institutions and create opportunities that endure after the government leaves office.

For Fintiri, whose political philosophy has been expressed through the promise that no one should be left behind, the question of succession has therefore become inseparable from the future of his development programme.

That question has brought the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Tijjani Aminu Galadima, into focus.

A former executive secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Galadima brings experience in federal public administration. He has placed continuity of Fintiri’s policies, programmes and projects at the centre of his campaign.

“We are coming for continuity in your policies. We are coming for continuity in your programmes. We are coming for continuity in your projects,” Galadima declared during a meeting with the governor.

His declaration provides a political framework, but continuity must mean more than preserving existing projects. It requires transparent public finances, effective institutions, sustained investment in education and healthcare, and an economic strategy capable of creating employment.

Adamawa’s diversity also demands leadership that recognises the interests of its different communities, religious groups and local government areas. Security, social cohesion and equitable development remain central to the responsibilities of any incoming administration.

Fintiri’s record will inevitably form part of the 2027 governorship debate. Supporters point to his infrastructure projects and administrative reforms, while voters are entitled to examine their costs, outcomes and long-term sustainability.

Galadima’s challenge is to demonstrate how his experience and proposed policies would translate into measurable improvements across the state.

The broader lesson is that development should not depend entirely on the personality of a governor. Roads must be maintained, schools adequately staffed, hospitals equipped and public institutions strengthened regardless of who occupies Government House.

As Adamawa prepares for another political transition, the debate should move beyond campaign slogans towards credible commitments, practical policies and public accountability.

Fintiri’s Fresh Air agenda has shaped the political conversation since 2019. Galadima has offered continuity as his response to the question of what comes next.

Ultimately, the durability of that legacy will depend on the ability of the next administration to build upon what works, correct what does not and deliver improvements that citizens can see in their everyday lives.