Adamawa: Fintiri Emerges PDP Guber Candidate

The Acting Governor of
Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri has emerged as the winner of Saturday’s governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Fintiri polled 624 votes to beat his closest rivals, former Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education (UBEC), Dr Ahmed Modibbo who scored 197 votes to a distant second, while former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa came a distant third with 54 votes.
Six aspirants contested the primary. In addition to Fintiri, Modibbo and Marwa, the other four are Ahmed Gulak, Umar Ardo and Jerry Kumdigu. The sixth aspirant, former Director General, National Boundary Commission, Alhaji Dahiru Bobbo withdrew from the race at the last minute, citing family pressure.
Bobbo who announced his withdrawal on Saturday at a press conference in Yola said, “My decision to withdraw from the race is purely for family reason.”
He, however, added that it was unthinkable for him to remain in the race knowing that the supremacy of internal democracy has since been compromised.
Eight others including the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, had earlier withdrawn from the governorship race to enable them contest the 2015 governorship election in the state, as agreed by the party.
Although the primary which stretched into the early hours of yesterday morning, was adjudged to be free and fair, some contestants had complained about the manner the primary was held.
Dr. Ardo particularly accused the national delegation led by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Baukole of incompetence, saying he had “never experienced such manner of conducting polls”.
He told the delegation at the venue of the exercise that, “you are abusing the sanctity of the open ballot box election”.
Another aspirant and former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, criticised the delegation for allegedly handling the primary in “a shoddy manner”.
According to Gulak, “the way this election is being conducted is totally strange in the history of our party”.