As of now, the vote counting is still ongoing, and the results of 20 out of the 21 local governments have been announced. The incumbent Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP, maintains his lead over Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the APC, with over 35,000 votes separating them. Fintiri has won in 13 LGAs while Binani has won in seven of the 20 declared so far.
Binani, who is the only female candidate in the race, has faced challenges from religious and cultural biases against women in politics, particularly in the more conservative parts of Nigeria. However, her economic empowerment and skills acquisition programs targeted at the less-privileged in the state, particularly women, seem to have paid off.
Binani’s supporters believe that her open-handedness and grassroots popularity could work in her favor, but she will have to overcome the hurdle of incumbency to emerge as the winner of the election. Furthermore, she has also faced opposition from some Islamic and Christian clerics in the state, who have discouraged voters from supporting her candidacy.
The ethnic diversity of Adamawa State may also play a role in the outcome of the election, with Binani being Fulani, the dominant ethnic group in the state, and Fintiri being Kilba, one of the minority groups.
As the vote counting continues in Adamawa State, it is clear that the race between Fintiri and Binani is still too close to call. The fate of the election rests on the outcome of the decisive Fufore LGA, which is yet to be declared. While Fintiri currently has a slight advantage, Binani and her supporters remain hopeful that she can make history by becoming Nigeria’s first female state governor. In the unpredictable world of politics, anything can happen, and the final result may surprise us all. As we wait for the final outcome, one thing is certain: this election has shown that women can break through the cultural and religious biases that have long kept them from contesting for power in Nigeria, and that they have the potential to become successful political leaders.
