The book is made up of 5 chapters and an Addendum of voices of endorsements from friends and colleagues of the subject. The chapters spread across various themes, covering the struggles and emergence, a consolidation of his hold on power and his application of the tools of leadership that enabled the subject to stay the course of time. In doing this, Chapter 1 is titled, the Hudu Audacity. In this opening chapter, the author literally enters the scene with historical guns blazing. In very eloquent, alluring and gripping language, the author provides the reader with a historical backdrop against which to appreciate the entire theme of the book. In this way, the reader is guided into the ecosystem that produced his subject, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri. In his narration, history literally collides with a cultural matrix formed in the furnace of distorted world views, views and claims founded on dubious supremacist worlds of liars and manipulators of existential realities, producing visions that are often out of context.
The author helps the reader appreciate why ideals tend to fall on their faces in Africa. A failure to understand these realities can be daunting and frustration. However, he argues that: These visions, often ambitious and idealistic are frequently treated as noble ends in themselves. But, beneath this grandeur lies a fragile underbelly, the disturbing absence of foundational cohesion, sincerity of purpose and cultural intelligence required to translate vision into sustainable progress (p12). Taken within the context of post-colonial Nigeria, the reader is taken through the well- orchestrated design that has produced the volatility that makes Nigeria what it is today. It illustrates why and how the future was placed in jeopardy.
Again, the author argues: In the Nigerian case, the failure of integration is more pronounced and deeply tragic. The colonial enterprise, in its utilitarian drive cobbled together diverse ethnic groups, most of whom had no shared history, cultural affinity or mutual historical vision into one geographical contraption called Nigeria…..The indirect rule elevated certain ethnic groups as indigenous allies, not for their vision or merit, but for their utility…leaders not by organic consensus but by imperial design. As the British prepared to exit, it scripted a transition not for national sovereignty, but for power continuity through its chosen proxies (p13).
In the author’s view, it is a combination of these distorted world views and skewed power sharing methods that laid the foundation for the emergence of what the author calls, Huduism. The author is quite trenchant in explaining what should be seen as a bold attempt to add to the political lexicon in Nigeria. Huduism to him is; a political religion with an imperial creed: power must never be allowed to slip iinto the hands of those who will challenge the status quo or dare to unite the people (p16). The author goes on to situate the nature of the instrumentalization of the levers of power that enables Hunduism to flourish.
Huduism derives from the name of a gentleman, hitherto, unknown to many Nigerians. His name is Hudu Yunusa Ali, a lawyer who had been serving in Adamawa as the Resident Electoral Officer. Although the highest ranking officer to oversee the electoral process, he apparently went beyond the call of his duty to announce the results of the elections even before the process had been concluded. According to the author, this act a Shakespearean act of eating the insane root which had taken reason prisoner (p29). The author accuses Hudu and Senator Binani, the beneficiary of this perfidy of being instruments of the same orchestra (p26). In making the case for Huduism and its characteristics, words like, weapon, cartel, thug, assassination, guerrilla warfare, mercenary, drug-fed, fire, warriors, untouchable are thrown here and there to make the powerful point of the strategies for the achievement of the goal of Huduism (pg24-26.
Chapter 2 speaks to the issues of ignition of hope for a people who had hitherto lived under the radar of opportunity. According to the author, the emergence of Governor Fintiri is described in this chapter as the emergence of a breath of fresh air to a people who had hitherto, faced suffocation from lack of development. This earns him the sobriquet of, Fresh Air Governor!
Chapter 3, addresses the issues around what the author refers to as the essence and the driving force of the man, his mission and the mandate he earned. The chapter highlights the Agenda that drove the Governor, his strategy for achieving his hopes of total renewal of both the cultural world view of his people and the challenges of bringing them into the daylight of development.
Chapter 4 is perhaps the most decisive chapter in the book. Here, the author teases out the 11-Point Agenda of the Governor. This Agenda covers; Rural Infrastructure, Internal Revenue Mobilisation, Accountability and Transparency, Health, Education, Agriculture, Security, Commerce and Industry, Civil Service Reforms, Youth Empowerment and Environmental Protection. The author who set the examination and has marked it, refers to his list as; a superlative scorecard. If this is already a superlative scorecard, all we can do is cross check, cross reference and verify. The list is not one of empty claims because there are locations indicated and time lines that are verifiable to the critics who should legitimately be encouraged to trust, but verify. As they say in Hausa, gani ya kori ji!. What I will do now is to simply use one- liners to summarise the superlative score card.
On Rural Infrastructure, the author presents the Governor as using this as a way of the lives of the citizens of Adamawa state. Infrastructure is literally everything. Here, using the provision of water and power supply, the setting up of Community and Social Development Agency, Ministry of Water resources, Housing and Urban development, collaboration with international NGOs and donor agencies, the Governor was able to engage in the transformation of the lives of ordinary citizens. In the lives of the people of Adamawa state, it was a case of the fulfilment of the words of prophet Isaiah who said: A people that walked in darkness have seen a wonderful light (Is. 9:10).
Agenda 2 on Internally Generated Revenue showed that by deploying technological innovations such as the use of the TSA, biometric exercise, BVN, online payments the government was able to reduce corruption and increase revenue to the state, with salaries now coming on the 25th of the month! (p126-7). The investment drive that brough BUA cement to Guyuk, increase of vehicles in the transport sector were all life-changing strategies for the development of the state.
Agenda 3 addresses Accountability and Transparency, a very thorny issue in a thoroughly corrupt country. Following the innovative strategy of publishing allocations to states and local governments, citizens are exposed to the resources coming to the state. Rather than the arbitrary promotions in the civil service based on parochial interests, promotions to the post of Permanent Secretary now required the passing of stipulated examinations(p137).
Agenda 4, the Health sector lists a spread in the facilities provided across the state. This includes locations and the stages of completion of all projects. Out of the 46 projects listed, none was left uncompleted(p145-148). It is left for communities to verify these claims by being vigilant.
Agenda 4 focused on human capital development. Again, the reader can see these developments across the state as they are elaborated on pages 169-174 and 177-178.
Agenda 6, 7,8,9 speak to Agriculture, Security, Commerce and Industry, Civil Service Reforms, Youth and Women Empowerment and finally, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Mitigation. The book ends with Voices and Perspectives being a documentation of interviews and comments of friends of the subject of the book. The book ends with a selection of key speeches of the subject covering different thematic areas in the course of his administration. The last pages of the book, from pages 311-332 present a list from the Ministry of Works showing projects and their status as of 2022. Again, readers can cross check these stages especially as they concern their communities.
Now, I wish to make just a few points by way of my obligation as a reviewer of this book. I will make just five points.
First, the reader is left with no doubt as to the commitment of the writer to his subject and he does not shy away from the fact that he is first, partisan and dedicated to giving the world a view of a man he admired and had the honour to serve. To this extent, both those who admire or wish to vilify Governor Fintiri have been served all that they need to weigh the subject. Thus, the first thing to say is to commend the author for undertaking this task. Its importance lies in his presenting us with the back-to-back view of the man, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, his struggles to power and how he used that power. Writing history is important to the development of nations because citizens have a chance to weigh the struggles of winners and losers.
Two, the author deployed his skills in making a very good case for his principal. He has written out of convictions over the personality and the achievements of his principal. The only way to quarrel with his conclusions will be for his critics to write their own accounts and offer corrections and interpretations. This is how history shapes public opinions and enriches society. When these corrections are made, then readers will appreciate that in the end, history has no finishing posts. The author himself demonstrates this by interrogating our assumptions of both colonial and caliphal historiography.
Three, the three villains in the book are Barrister, Hudu Yahaya Ari and Senator Aishatu Binani. To the author, Barrister Ari is; a civil servant turned mercenary of political manipulations(p18). We all have to await Barrister Ayi’s and Senator Binani’s formal response not only to the charges, but the author’s characterisationof their intents and purposes. They owe themselves and history an account of his own side of the story. As Marx Erhmann, the American poet said in his famous poem, Desiderata, Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.
There is a cautionary tale in dealing with this very important subject of the book and this is one of the greatest beauties of Nigeria. It is also a reason why generalisations are dangerous in interpreting realities. The complex web of our dear country beckons on us not to fall victim to stereotype or inhabit and imaginary world in which we are often separated by social class, religion, ethnicity, ideology and so on. We see in this mix, Senator Abbo, a Christian aligning with Aisha Binani anmd it is easy to call him a traitor. But what name shall we give to Professor Muhammad, the INEC chairman, Barrister Ari’s fellow kinsman from Bauchi who turned the tables of INEC against him when he could have sided with him in the normal run of things. Instead, Festus Okoye, the INEC Spokesman did not hesitate to announce that the elections had been declared null and void(p43).
In all this book is a beautiful piece of writing. It is not a biography of AUF as his friends call him. We have to wait for him to do so by writing and autobiography.
In the over 300-page book, we have only 12 paragraphs or less that four pages that speak to us about the life of the subject which the author refers to as, Unveiling Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri. In all this this, the author is at his hyperbolic best but with justification:. He says for example; religion is a bridge, not a wall, a personal compass not a public sword, governance is a platform not a pyramid, governing not from the peak of power but from the trenches of compassion, marriage is a harmony of divine purpose and partnership.
My friend Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza is not here. However, it was from him that I heard so much about the Governor. I cannot remember how many times Bishop Mamza would occasionally say to me, Gwamna ya bar gida na yanzu, or Gwanma ya zo jiya and so on. I was quite envious but in a holy sense. I have interacted with and watched power at very close quarters but the chemistry between Governor Fintiri and the people of Adamawa is exemplary.
The north remains severely fractured because of the misuse of religion by people who really do not believe in it but see it as a weapon of choice. Identity politics in plural societies is dangerous. We can see from the rivers of blood that continue to flow in Nigeria. It means that we have lessons to learn. In all comments, everyone seemed, the words, calm, maturity run through all references to Governor Fintiri.
I will wish that His Excellency can use his experience as a bridge builder to pull down the walls that have been falsely erected by politicians in the north which have dangerously separated us into Christians and Muslims. It’s time we heed the call by The Staple Singers in their epic song, Bridges instead of Walls where they said: It’s time we build bridges instead of walls, And give peace a chance to come across walls, Too long we have been isolated, It’s time we communicated. It’s time we build bridges instead of walls.
Your Excellency, please extend your peace building, your bridge building across the north. Call on your brother Governors, let us rally together. Let us meet and see how we can all help to build our broken north. We Christians are here ready to work with you and your colleagues to uplift the lives of our people, but some of your colleagues see only politics, exclusion and use religion to divide not unite. Finally, please join me in congratulating Solomon Kumangar who has done an excellent job in writing a book whose contents are ideologically strident but factual. It is a book that should be read both by supporters and political opponents alike. In doing this, the opponents might best plan how to stop him while his supporters will appreciate why and how they need to consolidate on the gains of their subject.
Publishers: Blueshield Consulting, 2026