Sokoto 2023 and the Wamakko factor

Nigeria is yet again on a democratic train with myriads of activities going on among the 18 or more registered political parties. There are also other activities by other democratic institutions, especially by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other domestic and international stakeholders/ partners. All these are geared towards ensuring successful transition of power as the 2023 general elections are just a few months away.

All the political parties, the big and small, had since conducted their congresses at all levels, just as they had also conducted their various conventions as well as primaries, resulting in the emergence of candidates for various offices. Political parties and their candidates are now strategising towards winning the forthcoming elections.

In Sokoto state, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in particular, has successfully conducted all its congresses and primary election leading to the emergence of candidates for various positions.

It is, however, disdainful that in spite of the relentless efforts of the indefatigable leader of the party in the state, incumbent Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, a former governor, some political bankrupts are bent on perpetrating their heinous acts of becoming the cogs in the success of the party.

It is gratifying to note that they are late and their game is up. They were planted in the party to truncate its growth, but woefully failed in their bid to wipe out Wamakko as the true APC leader in the state.

To their dismay, Wamakko has continued to be the indomitable Iroko tree and absolutely the lone political tree that makes up a forest. His influence and political landscape have continued to wax stronger within the state, Nigeria, and beyond.

This sphere of influence of the Sarkin Yakin Sokoto was confirmed, for instance, by the recent primary elections in the state, especially the gubernatorial primary that led to the emergence of the former deputy governor who is the immediate past executive secretary of the Police Trust Fund, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, as flag-bearer of the party.

the expected defections of these political spies only added value to the APC in Sokoto. It is like good riddance to bad rubbish. However, all right-thinking and real owners of APC in the state have remained loyal to Wamakko. So, it is a heart-warming penultimate week as the party officially reacted to the defection of these political feather-weights. It was at a press conference hosted by the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida.

According to him, ”The media briefing was to use the medium to convey to the good people of Sokoto the opinions of the APC on matters affecting our dear state. ”It has now become clear to all people of good conscience in Sokoto state and beyond that the reception organised to receive the so-called APC decampees into the PDP on Sunday, June 26, 2022 has passed as a non-event and laughable affair.

”It is now obvious that a battle line has been drawn between the APC and the masses of Sokoto state on the one hand, and the selfish political mercenaries and their pay masters on the other hand.

”The political wanderers that staged the show of shame last Sunday danced naked in the market square which only ended in inflicting incurable political injury on themselves and nailing their political coffins. We are happy to see the formal departure of PDP moles whose assignment has failed and who in the end shamefully went home with their tails between their legs.”

Speaking further, the chairman said that all the defectors are people who have been rejected by their communities as they have no political value.

”The various speeches they made at the event portrayed them as bad sportsmen who should have no place in any democratic setting. Politics is like sports where there are always winners and losers.

”Unfortunately, these are selfish individuals who are only interested in their personal comfort, rather than the welfare of the people they claim to represent.

”No wonder, the entire group is made up of people who have turned their backs on those that were instrumental to bringing them into political limelight. Among them are people who became ministers after being single-handedly nominated by Wamakko.

”There are also in the group, those who were single handedly sponsored into the state and National Assemblies, with many of them being returned for more than two tenures courtesy of Wamakko.

”At this juncture, call on Sokoto state government to explain to the people its reasons for abandoning the ongoing projects, such as the Illela Garage- More-Isa junction road and bridge, the Rijiya Dorowa overhead bridge, the Runjin-Sambo overhead bridge as well as the State University Teaching Hospital and the Girls Secondary School in Kasarawa. We equally challenge the governor to explain to the people of Sokoto state the reasons for the inability of his government to renovate the Sokoto Central Market as well as the fate of shop owners who lost fortunes in the ill-fated fire outbreak early last year.

”We wish to call on the Sokoto state governor to borrow a leaf from his colleague governors of neighbouring states who have unfailingly paid the retirement benefits of civil servants. It is disheartening to note that retired civil servants in the state are being owed gratuities since 2016 without any concrete plan of settling them, in spite of several broken promises.”

Ibrahim writes from Gangaren Dankure, Sokoto, Sokoto state.