Adamawa 2023 Election: Treachery, Assault, Moral Compromise – By a Bankrupt Elite Masked as Patriots – Fintiri

By Emmanuel Kwada 

Adamawa State Governor Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, CON, GSSRS, has described the contentious 2023 governorship election in the state as a profound assault on democracy, marked by treachery, assault, and moral compromise orchestrated by what he termed a “bankrupt elite masked as patriots.”

The governor made the strong assertions during his speech at the formal presentation and unveiling of the biography Fintiri: The Man They Could Not Stop, authored by veteran journalist Chief Solomon Kumangar, his former Director-General of Media and Publicity.

The event, held on Monday, February 2, 2026, in Yola, drew prominent figures including Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule (who chaired the occasion), former Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (keynote speaker), and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Most Reverend Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah (book reviewer).

Governor Fintiri, reflecting on the book’s central theme—the relentless attempts to derail his political journey—said the 2023 election represented the “height” of numerous futile efforts to stop him.

He portrayed himself as a “man of destiny” who overcame coordinated political sabotage.

“In 2023, we saw treachery; we saw assault; we saw the moral compromise of a bankrupt elite masked as patriots,” Fintiri stated. “But most importantly, we saw the support and resilience of the true Adamawa people and a friendship that goes beyond the state.”

The 2023 Adamawa governorship poll, held on March 18 (after a postponement), was highly controversial. Initial collation was disrupted when the then-Resident Electoral Commissioner Hudu Ari controversially declared APC candidate Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani) the winner late at night, prompting widespread outrage and intervention by security agencies and INEC headquarters.

Results were later reviewed, and Fintiri (PDP) was declared the winner with 430,861 votes against Binani’s 398,788. The declaration was upheld by the election tribunal, Court of Appeal, and ultimately the Supreme Court in January 2024.

Fintiri lamented that the episode exposed certain individuals as “pretentious, greedy, opportunistic, and desperate,” yet they continue to “cry victim” while claiming democratic credentials. He accused a “clique of pretenders and political puppeteers” of still shuttling between Yola and Abuja, “shamelessly and dangerously hovering around our democracy.”

“Nigeria must not wait for our justice system to deal with them,” he urged. “We must, as we did in 2023, resist them with our votes and unmask them to the world.”

The governor teased that much remains untold about the 2023 events and hinted at revealing the full details in his forthcoming memoir. He praised author Kumangar—known to him for nearly 50 years since their school days at GDSS Gulak—for pioneering the narrative with a journalist’s insider perspective, despite its limitations in depth.

“This book is Solo’s book,” Fintiri said. “If anybody has a different version of this narrative… they are at liberty to write their own.” He congratulated Kumangar for opening the way for future accounts on his administration’s early years and the “embattled” 2023 elections.

The biography, unveiled by APC National Vice Chairman (North-East Zone) Dr. Mustapha Salihu, is positioned as a foundational record of political resilience, electoral integrity struggles, and leadership perseverance in Adamawa. Attendees and reviewers highlighted its role in documenting governance challenges and the defense of the people’s mandate against manipulation.

As Nigeria grapples with ongoing concerns over electoral sanctity, Governor Fintiri’s remarks and the book’s launch underscore persistent tensions from the 2023 polls, serving as a call for vigilance to safeguard democracy.