From Joseph Asegba, Yola
The Chief of Staff to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, Dr. Edgar Sunday Amos, has advised Dr. Umar Ardo to summon the courage to contest yet another governorship election in 2027, despite his repeated failures at the polls.
Dr. Amos made this known in a statement titled “Who Needs a Hug,” issued through the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Humwaahi Wonosikau. He noted that while the next election is still some time away, Dr. Ardo is welcome to try his luck again.
According to Amos, “For personal reasons, I had initially been reluctant to respond to Dr. Umar Ardo’s article titled ‘When Praise Becomes Propaganda: A Refutal of The Fintiri Aura’. However, the shallow nature of the piece, and how some people appear to be swayed by it, compelled me to set the record straight and offer some advice to Dr. Ardo.”
He explained that “The Fintiri Aura”, the article he wrote, simply highlighted what he views as the visionary leadership of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, especially his courage and deep faith in God. “It is my personal opinion,” he said, “and everyone has the right to choose their heroes and heroines.”
Citing global figures like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela, Dr. Amos added, “Some may not consider these people heroes. Others might prefer to look up to the likes of Malcolm X, Adolf Hitler, or Benito Mussolini. Dr. Ardo is entitled to his preferences too.”
He, however, questioned the objectivity of Dr. Ardo’s criticism, noting that the former gubernatorial aspirant has consistently contested and lost against Governor Fintiri both at the polls and in court.
“If my article lacks objectivity because I am Chief of Staff, how objective is Dr. Ardo’s, considering his history of unrelenting, bitter attacks against the Governor?” Amos asked. “In six years of Governor Fintiri’s administration, Dr. Ardo couldn’t acknowledge a single policy, program, or achievement? That speaks volumes.”
Amos further recalled that both former President Muhammadu Buhari and current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite belonging to different political parties, had honored Governor Fintiri with awards for good governance in succession. “Are Buhari and Tinubu also aides of Fintiri?” he asked rhetorically. “Or are they guilty of sycophancy too?”
He also referenced praise from various elder statesmen, women, and youth groups in Adamawa who have commended Governor Fintiri’s development strides, particularly in physical infrastructure, noting that many of these people have no affiliations with the government.
Reacting to Ardo’s emphasis on an alleged court case involving the governor, Dr. Amos reminded him of the legal principle that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.
“Dr. Ardo accused me of not citing data,” he continued. “But my article focused on the Governor’s qualitative traits such as courage and faith in God, which I illustrated with clear examples. When writing about quantifiable matters, I will provide relevant data—for objective readers, not those blinded by prejudice.”
As a parting jab, Dr. Amos cited one statistic he believes may interest Dr. Ardo: “In the 2023 governorship election, he scored only 6,870 votes—just 0.3% of the total 2,196,566 registered voters in Adamawa State.”
He concluded: “Repeatedly contesting and being rejected by the electorate in such a humiliating manner might make one bitter, frustrated, and demoralized. For people like Dr. Ardo, what they probably need most is a hug.”