Adamawa State governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Maurice Vunobolki, has placed his party’s chances above the influence and preferences of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
   
Optimistic of his chances, the development economist stated that neither Atiku as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and having his preferred governorship candidate, nor Ribadu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) can reasonably sway the Adamawa electorate in the next governorship poll.
   
Speaking to The Guardian on how the forthcoming general election is shaping up among the political godfathers, Vunobolki said records show that Adamawa voters usually sideline godfathers in making their electoral choices, stressing that 2027 will not be different.
   
He dismissed suggestions in some quarters that the state would have produced a female governor in 2023, stating that there was no way Senator Aisha Ahmed (Binani) could have beaten incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, even with the support of the federal government under late Muhammadu Buhari.
   
Vunobolki said his decision to retrace his steps from the ruling APC after defecting from the PDP was because he saw the signs of imminent imposition, arguing that, having suffered from such undue interference in the electoral process, he did not want to leave any room to chance.
   
The PDP gubernatorial contender disclosed that the socio-economic realities on the ground in the state would determine who wins the governorship, adding that with what Fintiri has achieved in office, the next governor would not have a godfather.
   
Citing Fintiri’s case, he noted that the state is not easily manipulated, insisting that the only way to get the people believing and trusting you is for the election to be open and the candidate transparent.

Vunobolki further expressed optimism that voters will repeat the same independent-minded choice they demonstrated during the recent local council polls in which PDP cleared the entire 17 councils, adding that the people have seen that they can only hold to account the elected representatives who hold their mandate.