PROFILE: Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Governor, Adamawa State, Nigeria [2019 — ]

Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri was born on October 27, 1967, in Gulak, Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, in Nigeria’s North-East.

He had his primary education at Central Primary School, Gulak, between 1975 and 1981. For his secondary education, he attended Government Day Secondary School, Gulak, and Government Secondary School Michika between 1981 and 1986.

Ahmadu Fintiri holds a post-graduate Diploma in Policy and Strategic Studies, from the University of Maiduguri in 2004 after obtaining his first degree in History from the same University in 1992.

Most of his teachers, mentors and contemporaries know Ahmadu Fintiri as an outstanding student and an athlete throughout his boyhood and adolescent years.

After running his private business for years, he was elected to represent Madagali Constituency in 2007 and re-elected in 2011.

He held several leadership positions in the House of Assembly before being elected as the Speaker, a position he held until 2015. Ahmadu Fintiri also, twice, acted as governor of Adamawa State. He first became acting governor following the impeachment of then-Governor Murtala Nyako in July 2014. He handed over to Bala James Ngilari after serving for three months.

Ahmadu Fintiri, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won the governorship election of Adamawa State that took place on March 9, 2019. However, the election was declared inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes was more than the margin between the winner and his closest challenger.

After a supplementary election, Ahmadu Fintiri was declared the winner of the election after securing 376,552 votes to defeat incumbent Governor Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 336,386 votes.

Mr Fintiri is married and has three children.