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.
Credit: Leadership