by George Kush
While the political climate in Adamawa State appears normal, deep rooted political differences are surfacing with intrigues and manipulations to either destabilize or maintain dominance in a state that is riddled with religious and ethnic permutations. In the history of partisan politics in Adamawa State, who becomes governor is keenly contested along sectarian and ethnic colouration. The most glaring situation reared it’s ugly head during the 2023 elections where the ” WUJJA WUJJA ” syndrome widely spread across the state with religious and tribal sentiments. The outcome made it possible for Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to garner votes of all most ethnic nationalities.
Just around the corner in 2025, is the looming spirit of the 2027 general election. It may appear calm, but subterranean political activities have started in earnest. While things appear simple on the surface, consumate politicians have started juggling for events that would fully unfold by 2026 . In the light of this, certain political calculations and moves have started amongst those that have an eye on the 2027 elections.
It is a well known fact that the PDP has been the dominant party in Adamawa while the APC, SDP, and the newly revamped ADC, all these later parties have mutated over time with several political actors jumping from one party to the other.
A case in study shows different shift by Atiku Abubakar from the PDP to ACto APCto PDDP and now to ADC.
The same can be said of Chief Joel Madaki who has shifted from PDP to Labour Party and then back to PDP before now moving to APC.
These cases clearly spell the fact that notable politicians in Adamawa State have a penchant of jumping from one party to the other without due consideration to ideology but rather are influenced by personal interest and the political weather.
In recent times, the shift to APC by Chief Joel Madaki appears to have stunned many even more than Atiku’s shift to ADC. The erstwhile colleagues in the PDP have broken ranks with Atiku moving to the ADC, a party that have been a lying cell and a fall back for him years ago.
As for Chief Joel Madaki’s move, it has been largely viewed by Adamawa political pundits as a miscalculation consideration his antecedent during the PDP crisis around 2006 when he was muscled out of the PDP and the Miraculous emergence of Murtala Nyako then an APP supporter as PDP candidate. Madaki was forced to move to another party before he later returned to the PDP.
Interestingly, his return into the PDP did not diminish his influence within it.
The question now making the round is that of whether Chief Madaki is not repeating the same mistake and creating an opportunity for the same manipulators to create a division within the electorate and pave way for the success of their favoured candidate.
A second question is as to this motive of moving to the APC a party known to be a bitter rival of PDP that the Chief Joel help found in Adamawa. Could his motive be personal or an expression of his supporters’ views?
These questions raise a lot of issues as Chief Joel Madaki seem to have made his decision without broad consultation with his supporters. Shockingly is the fact hat Chief Joel Madaki’s move and the total silence by the PDP crucial stakeholders seem to indicate that it was a ‘solo move”.
As it appears, his move to the APC bodes no meaningful damage to the PDP nor add substantial value to the APC where at best, he will only likely be used to achieve parochial interest of the manipulators just like in the past.
Adamawa State is at the Cross Roads and Chief Joel Madaki needs to threads carefully lest he be nailed on a double cross by people that he has chosen to be his new friends as against the followership that had been led by him in the past. The outcome or his move will largely depend on what Adamawa citizens think.
Given the performance of the government under Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and the bond between him and the people as a result of his exemplary performance as governor. It can easily be assumed that the people of Adamawa are likely to move along g with him and those that share the same values on the progress of Adamawa as he does..
No doubt the 2027 electons will be contested in the traditional way but with less intensity of the tribal and religious factors which have been taken care of by Fintiri who has thinned the line between religion and ethnic bigotry and has made the people more focused on positive development more than the divisive attitude being propagated by selfish politicians.
Fintiri is the mold of the tribal, religious and political stature that Adamawa needs. As 2027 creeps in, all should focus on what unites us and do away with what divides us by paying careful attention to what grand manipulators and enemies of the people contrive.
I am Kushi, where politics meet the truth, I write✍️.
