As Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri makes a rare political appearance in Ganye today to flag off the campaign of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the August 16 Ganye local government Constituency, State House of Assembly by-election, political analysts and grassroots stakeholders are asking the critical question: Can a single campaign visit erase years of perceived neglect and betrayal?
For many in Ganye Local Government, the answer is a resounding no.
Since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections—where Ganye voted overwhelmingly for the All Progressives Congress (APC)—the local government has, by many accounts, been relegated to the periphery of Fintiri’s second-term agenda. Roads remain impassable. Schools are crumbling. Promised infrastructure projects are either frozen in bureaucracy or forgotten altogether.
Worse still, high-powered political figures and grassroots mobilizers who risked political capital and invested heavily in Fintiri’s re-election have been sidelined. Their loyalty, it seems, was transactional—disregarded once the polls were closed and the votes counted. Many of these leaders, feeling used and abandoned, have now defected to the APC in protest, leaving the PDP in Ganye fractured and its traditional support base deeply eroded.
“The people of Ganye are not fools,” said a former PDP stalwart who recently crossed over to the APC. “You can’t starve a man for two years and then bring him a plate of promises during an election cycle and expect gratitude. Governor Fintiri punished an entire local government for exercising its democratic right to vote its conscience.”
Fintiri’s absence from Ganye’s development map over the past two years has not gone unnoticed. Despite campaign pledges to address deteriorating roads, expand access to quality education, and promote agricultural development in the region, the governor’s silence has been deafening—until now.
Today’s flag-off event, held under the banner of unity and progress, has been described by many as too little, too late. Critics argue that it is nothing more than a desperate bid to salvage PDP’s dwindling support in a local government that now sees its future more aligned with the opposition.
“You can’t ignore a people for two years and then suddenly remember them on the eve of a by-election,” JiKa Adamu wrote in another stinging commentary. “The Ganye people are resilient. They do not bow to intimidation or manipulation. If Fintiri’s only offering is rhetoric and empty promises, he is wasting his time.”
The stakes in the August 16 by-election go far beyond a legislative seat—they represent a referendum on Fintiri’s treatment of Ganye and a bellwether for political realignment in southern Adamawa. With rising disenchantment, mass defections, and a wounded PDP apparatus, the political climate is shifting rapidly—and not in the governor’s favor.
As Ganye prepares to cast its votes, many believe the choice is no longer just about parties or personalities—it’s about principle, justice, and the demand for inclusive governance.
And this time, the people are watching with eyes wide open.
PIONEER NEWS 