By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State, Dr Maurice Vunobolki, has said political godfathers do not decide election outcomes in the state, insisting that Adamawa voters have consistently shown they make up their own minds at the ballot box.
With political alignments gathering pace ahead of the 2027 governorship election, Vunobolki explained why he returned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, saying his decision was driven by fears of candidate imposition and his belief that Adamawa voters have repeatedly rejected political godfatherism.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Vunobolki also cited provisions of the Electoral Act restricting aspirants from switching political parties after purchasing nomination forms, saying they influenced his decision to return to the PDP.
“In 2014, during the lead-up to the 2015 General Election, you realise that when Atiku Abubakar contested against Muhammadu Buhari and Rabiu Kwankwaso in the APC presidential primary, Kwankwaso won Adamawa State against Atiku Abubakar because the Adamawa voters believe that they’re independent people, so they don’t believe in any godfatherism.
“In fact, Kwankwaso won Kano and Adamawa State. And Waziri, who is from Adamawa State, lost the votes of Adamawa delegates. The same thing, you realise also that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the NSA too, was a candidate of the PDP in Adamawa State in 2015, he also lost. He also tried, like, two times again, to run for the primary nomination, he lost those nominations. So, godfathers don’t have their way in Adamawa State,” he said.
Vunobolki expressed confidence that the PDP would retain the governorship, saying Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s administration had delivered what he described as significant democratic dividends. He attributed the governor’s performance to his vision and political independence.
He said developments surrounding the APC governorship ticket reinforced his decision to leave the ruling party, arguing that he had avoided another experience of candidate imposition.
According to him, Adamawa voters would be reluctant to abandon what he described as the gains recorded under the current administration for a political godson. He added that his independence from political patrons would strengthen his appeal to the electorate.
“Adamawa people know that I don’t have a godfather. They know that I’ve been going around. I recently just went around to campaign with my local government candidates, PDP candidates, across the state. No political party did that during the buildup to the local government elections,” the PDP candidate stated.
He also commended Fintiri’s handling of security, saying the governor’s use of hunters and community vigilantes helped contain insecurity in parts of the state.
Looking beyond the governorship race, Vunobolki dismissed suggestions that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform would significantly influence the Adamawa governorship election.
He pointed to previous electoral defeats suffered in the state by both Atiku and National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as proof that political influence does not guarantee victory in Adamawa.
