By Tom Garba, Yola


The Adamawa State Gubernatorial candidate of the Labor Party (LP) Mallam Umar Mustapha Madawaki (Otumba) has alleged that the Governor of Adamawa State, Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is playing a double game with PDP alongside his party.

According to Otumba, Fintiri is jittery with the growing popularity of his party and the general acceptability of his candidature.

He said LP is becoming a phenomenon that has forced Fintiri into a double sworded game, rambling between his party's Presidential candidate, Peter Obi's name, and the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

He alleged that Governor Ahmadu has been telling Christians to vote for Obi at the presidential polls and vote for him at governorship poll, says a different thing at his campaign rallies where he has never mentioned Obi's name.

"It is unfortunate to know that he came up with a certain political paradigm and abandoned his political party presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Otumba said Fintiri has promised to deliver Adamawa state to the Labour party knowing full well he does not have that capacity.

"I'm assuring you he is only being mischievous with the propaganda that is going to work for Peter Obi, campaigning to Christians in the state to vote for all elective positions in PDP and vote not the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku.

"All through his campaign trend Governor Fintiri has never mentioned Obi's name even once. Also, he has never said in all his campaign trend that people should not vote for Atiku. Is that not a mischief?

"The Governor is just playing a double sworded game. He will tell Obi's followers is working for him. When he goes to the other side of Atiku, he will tell them that anybody that will not vote for Atiku doesn't need the person's vote.

"He has no principles, his only political ideology is to come back to power. Knowing fully well that he has not done anything for Adamawa state that will warrant him a second term.

"I, therefore want to re-emphasize this that it is sacrosanct, it is a solid fact that the labor party has come to stay, it is a solid fact a revolution is in the oven in Nigeria. It is a solid fact we will win the presidential and the gubernatorial election." Otumba said

Umar accused the Governor of delving into his party affairs on his own thinking is going to spoil the chances of LP to form the next Government, not knowing the party has a coherent structure, and consolidated all his Local Government structure to a giant of winning the election.

Otumba during an interview with Our correspondent in Yola said: "First and foremost, we are a coherent political party and we were up and doing. e Everybody in Adamawa knows the Labour party is the party to beat.

"We are a political party like any other, we are not devoid of internal wrangling. In our case, it emanated from incursion made into our party by the Governor of Adamawa state."

He accused the Chairman of Adamawa State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza, and the EYN President Reverend Joel Billy of hiding under the collar of religion to play tribal politics for their Brother, the Governor.

"Before now Governor Ahmadu has the feelings and beliefs that his kinsmen, Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza who happened to be the CAN chairman of Adamawa state, and the EYN President, Billy are the deciding leaders of all the Christians in Adamawa State.

"We heard them endorsing Gov Fintiri. But why are they endorsing him? The Governorship Candidate of YPP is a Christian, why can't they support him? Why are they supporting a Muslim? It is the handy work of Dami Mamza who is now playing tribal politics in the name of religion. I can tell you in confidence there are a good number of CAN officials who are not with him because is using his political pranks of ethnic politics to favor Fintiri, his Brother in the name of religion.

"He did that in 2019 and got away with it now the Christians are better Enlightened with his tribal politics in the name of religion.

"He sees nothing good in any aspirant except Fintiri because is his tribal Man. Leadership is God-giving, you wouldn't know who God anointed for that, but at least he should hide his interest. If it turns out that Fintiri didn't emerge as the winner how are they going to work with the other person they rejected? There is no wisdom and common sense to what they are doing.

He however said Adamawa Christians are better informed now that the endorsement of Fintiri by Dami and Billy is not all about Christianity, but an ethnic agenda to make sure their Brother emerge as the next Governor of the state for the second term.

"The emergence of the Labor party has falsified that assertion because Christians in Adamawa adopted the party as their own. Fintiri realizes this is a danger that will throw him out of the Government House.

"Unfortunately for the Governor and the two Christian leaders that the Christians in Adamawa are becoming more aware that they have felt into a trap and the best option for them is to embrace the Labor party and did discard APC and PDP.

" I'm glad that the Christian community is beginning to realize this, and we will make them fully understand what Governor Ahmadu and his cohorts are planning to do against the people of Adamawa state," Otumba stated

He revealed that Fintiri has been fighting him tooth and nail since he got the LP gubernatorial ticket, he realizes how the wind of change is blowing against him.

Otumba in his words reiterated that:
"Ahmadu is the one fueling crisis in our party because is jittery about the party's popularity and is what will cost him his office in the coming election.

"He was neck bent to scuttle my ticket and failed, he was adamant to remove my campaign office from where it's, was not possible. Recently he ordered my posters and billboard be destroyed because is only the labor party that has became his political nightmare.

"Because is a sitting Governor he was able to convince some national party officials that are going to deliver Adamawa state to Peter Obi

"He has been using his adviser on security, General Sinabiji to fight me, to the extent of going to the headquarters of the Labor party in Abuja and furnished it. I can bet you the retired general doesn't have the resources to furnish that office. We knew someone is behind, and no one else than the Governor.

"Why didn't he furnish the PDP headquarters in Abuja or the PDP office in his state? He is trying to work himself into the hierarchy of the Labor Party in his effort to fight me.

"We have a whole lot of books on General Sinabiji. He has gone to the extent of setting up a labor office in Numan, a place believed to be a PDP stronghold, they are really late on this."

Despite the glaring massive infrastructural development accrued to the government of Fintiri, Otumba washed it down by saying that:

"He has bedeviled the state with huge loans that we can't pay. There is hardly any development in this state. Students are suffering. The Youth have no job, the education system is rotten, and the health sector is in dire need of services. Pensioners are just suffering from wants and poverty. He only pays pensions to those he has chosen to be paid. With all this baggage, he knows is going nowhere and that is why is coming with these evil machinations.

The Labor Party candidate draws the attention of all people, especially the Christians in the state to understand that:

"If you vote Obi, and you don't give him senators, you don't give him members of the house of representatives. Is going there as a minute president with APC, and PDP on his flanks and any action or inaction they don't want is an impeachable offense. Much as we want to vote for Obi, we must also thrive to vote for his Governors, Senators.

"A labor vote must be a vote for everyone contesting in the Labor party. PDP man can not as ask us to vote for Obi and abandon others contesting, it's not done anywhere like that.

Otumba has confidence that is going to be the next Governor of Adamawa state despite the strong presence of APC, PDP, SDP, and other political parties.

"I have a great number of the Christian community with me. Those who have realized that Governor Fintiri and Dami Mamza are playing the ethnic game. It is purely a tribal game it's not even a Christian game they are playing because Fintiri is a Muslim.

"I have a great number of PDP and APC adherents who will vote for me not to talk of Labour party adherents. Who do you think will command the votes? Of course, it' is me.

"We have all the 21 Local Government Areas intact, we are coherent. We are getting our people back on stage. We have concluded arrangements to begin our campaign soon. I'm sure by the special grace of God I will be the next Governor of Adamawa state and I will change Adamawa state for the better. Said Otumba

When our correspondent contacted the Director of Media and Communications of Governor Ahmadu, Mr. Solomon Kumangar commend to the allegations raised by Otumba, he described the assertion as laughable and dreaming. Solomon belittle Otumba as a candidate who does not exist in the imagination thoughts of Governor Fintiri.

According to him, Umar is never a candidate to join verbal words with because he does not have the political muscle to face Fintiri.

He recalled how Otumba failed woefully at the APC primaries and can never be regarded as a candidate that Fintiri is contending election with.

"Is Otumba a Gubernatorial candidate? Is never Fintiri's political line opposition because he does not have what it takes to win an election.

"We didn't fight Binani, is he a smaller figure Fintiri will fight? Please I can't waste my time replying to a failure." Solomon said

Hmm

In a space of 8months, LP is now a major party.

Omoh. Peter Obi carry grace abeg

If fintiri is working for obi indirectly that's good. Y is he lamenting.
He should be happy cos it will also benefit him.

A new Nigeria is POssible
Atiku will lose his polling unit once again

Ok

Salvador1:
If fintiri is working for obi indirectly that's good. Y is he lamenting.
He should be happy cos it will also benefit him.

He shouldn't lament

Pierre Obi, il est numero un.

Salvador1:
If fintiri is working for obi indirectly that's good. Y is he lamenting.
He should be happy cos it will also benefit him.

He is not. He is trying to use it to make inroads into LPs strongholds with lies.