Some people have been relentlessly criticizing Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State for placing advertisements in national dailies and messages on his social media handles congratulating the newly appointed Minister of the FCT, former Governor Nyesom Wike. They have even gone to the length of accusing Fintiri of ‘weak loyalty’.
In real-life situations, when people belong to different political blocks, it shouldn’t stop one from being fair and just to another, as well as seeing and telling the truth from all angles.
To be fair the governor’s congratulatory message to Minister Wike is purely on the grounds of a long personal friendship, and it has not in any way crossed the line of his alliance or political relationship with former vice president Atiku Abubakar. In fact, the action of these loyalists have only succeeded in harming the former VP’s political course because their action reflects the insistence on political slavery in a representative democracy; meaning his admirers should not have any social or personal relationships with his political adversaries. In fact, this contradicts the Nigerian politics we know—there are people in different political camps who have strong social and cultural ties. If we say we should at all times avoid people with whom we don’t share the same political roof, we shouldn’t congratulate them when something new happens to their lives or symphonize with them during their trial times; then many marriages, businesses, and friendships will crumble like a pack of cards.
When it comes to personal relationships and political relationships, we must differentiate between the two, though only people who understand not only the intricacies of local politics but also global political trends will do so.
Politics and social life never clash. In local Adamawa politics, we can see people who maintain and balance their political and social relationships with both the governor and the former vice president.
Real friendship puts heavy demands on us. Aristotle once said: “A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies”. This is how many political observers see the relationship between the governor and the new FCT minister.
However, many people want a friendship that provides quick personal gains for some time, and that’s all. The Fintiri Wike’s friendship appears to be something beyond people’s thinking; it seems there is a strong mutual respect between the two. And they may have helped each other at some critical time when no one was there for them.
Furthermore, looking at 2023 politics and the ‘Wike, Fintiri, and Atiku relationship’, Fintiri was fair to Atiku during the PDP primaries and during the presidential election. Fintiri gave Atiku all that was expected from him as Atiku’s home state governor. It is like Fintiri favored the ‘home front’ over friendship but gave the friendship its own rights, which Atiku also reciprocated during the 2023 governorship election crisis.
Any Atiku supporter or associate attacking Fintiri on such a mundane issue as a congratulatory advertisement for Wike, he or she is just unknowingly attacking Atiku because the Atiku group has constantly ‘walked the line’ that Atiku has supported Fintiri.
The former VP is a great politician, among the few Nigerian politicians who always plays the politics of a gentleman who believes in give and take, so it is right to say that Atiku’s supporters, some of whom are ‘new’ in Atiku’s political dynasties, should not only read between the lines but understand the arithmetic of politics. For instance, Atiku recently had a parley with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Tinubu had discussions with Kwankwaso; and many governors have visited their political foes. This is how politics for ‘tomorrow’, works.
In summary, one will for sure agree that Fintiri’s open congratulatory message to Wike is an exhibition of a true friendship without any hide and seek. There are Atiku’s close loyalists who have secretly congratulated Wike as well.
–Zayyad I. Muhmmamd writes from Abuja.
