The declaration of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hammadu Fintiri, as the winner of the Adamawa State governorship election on Thursday sparked jubilation in parts of the state, including Yola and Michika, on Friday.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof Andrew Haruna, declared Fintiri as the winner of the election, having polled 376,552 votes to defeat Governor Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress, who got 336,386 votes.
The March 9 election was declared inconclusive, leading to Thursday’s supplementary poll.
The March 9 election was declared inconclusive, leading to Thursday’s supplementary poll.
At Michika, Shuwa and Madagali, residents trooped out to celebrate Fintiri’s victory, saying his success at the polls would help the state.
The governor-elect was a former Speaker of the House of Assembly and acting governor of the state after Murtala Nyako was impeached in 2014.
The state chairman of the PDP, Tahir Shehu, said the victory was for Atiku Abubakar who is the party’s candidate for the February 23 presidential election.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondents in Yola, Shehu said the party’s victory had shown that Atiku was in control of his state.
He said, “Atiku Abubakar is a big beneficiary of this victory in Adamawa State. He is the pillar of this victory because he contributed spiritually and morally to it. Seventy per cent of the victory is for him. The victory we are celebrating today has its root in Atiku.
“This is to show the world that the PDP is Atiku and Atiku is the PDP. He is in control of the state despite all they did to defeat him at home.”
The chairman also said Fintiri won the election because the people wanted the PDP to rule the state.