In Saturday’s governorship election in Adamawa State, a woman may become the first woman to be elected governor in Nigeria, making political history.
With the majority of the results in the state tallied, Senator Aishatu Dahiru (Binani), the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for governor, is giving Ahmadu Fintri, the incumbent governor and PDP candidate, a challenging race for the top position in the state.
Governor Fintiri led in 13 local government districts, according to the results so far announced, and Governor Binani was in second place with 7. As of now, Senator Binani won in Ganye, Mubi-North, Mayo-Belwa, Maiha, Mubi-South, Yola-North, and Yola-South councils, while Fintiri won in Guyuk, Jada, Gombi Shelleng Demsa, Lamurde Girei Hong, Madagali, Numan Toungo, Song, and Michika local government areas of the state.
At the time this report was being written, the Fufore local government area’s outcome was still pending.
The collation was put on hold after the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusa Hudu, stated that there was work that needed to be done on the Fofure results.
On August 11, 1971, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed was born. She served as the senator for Adamawa Central in the 9th Legislature and went by the name Binani. She formerly served as a representative for the federal constituency of Yola North/Yola South/Girei in the House of Representatives as a member of the People’s Democratic Party in the 7th Parliament (2011–2015).
She presently serves as the Senate Committee’s chairman for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Aishatu Binani was named the APC candidate for governor of Adamawa in 2021 by an appeals court sitting in Yola. At the party’s governorship primary elections, she had defeated a number of powerful male politicians, including former presidential contender Nuhu Ribadu.
She began her early schooling in Kaduna and finished it in Jimeta Yola at Gwadabawa Primary School. She moved to the UK to pursue her higher education, where she graduated from the University of Southampton with a Higher National Certificate in Electrical Engineering.