Wamakko, the political master strategist, BY Sharafadeen Mohammed

If anyone still doubts who controls the politics of the seat of the Caliphate, Sokoto, the recent rally held for Magatakarda in Sokoto must have completely removed that doubt.
Political watchers have come to the conclusion that Senator Magatakarda Wamakko, popularly called “ALU”, is the indefatigable champion of Sokoto politics, for he not only controls the party structure, but also enjoys huge respect across all the 23 local government areas of the state.
Using the last rally as a litmus test of his popularity, Wamakko has succeeded in making a loud statement that clearly confirms his position as the most popular, colourful and influential politician to emerge in the seat of the Caliphate in recent times.
Whether you were opportune to be at the rally, or watched it on the television, you would have been overwhelmed by the unprecedented crowd that received Wamako right from the airport to the venue of the rally.
Some party enthusiasts and supporters could be heard wondering whether the huge crowd turnout was not a combination of both the Jins and other human spirits that converged on the rally grounds to cheer Wamakko.
It is difficult not to be tempted to agree with those who think that way.
The spirits and the Jins would have been too happy to be part of such a great event.
It was like the entire Sokoto and adjourning states poured out in their millions to welcome the twoterm former governor of the state.
This must have surely sent shock waves to the opponent’s camp and a warning signal too, that the politics of 2019 will be between Magatakarda and others.
Magatakarda represents the majority electorate, and they love him.
It would now appear that the state governor Rt.
Hon. Aminu Tambuwal has shot himself on the feet by defecting from the APC, which Wamakko leads, to the PDP that has lost popular appeal.
The unprecedented crowd that gathered to rally for his political godfather was an open repudiation of Tambuwal’s decision to dump the popular platform that made him governor of the state in 2015.It is difficult to see how this defection can benefit Gov.
Tambuwal, even in the unlikely event that his new party offers him ticket to run for the presidency in 2019.
Judging by the loud disapproval of his defection by the people of Sokoto, the political future for the young politician may have become very bleak.
To many, Tambuwal now stands at risk of disappearing into political irrelevance and could surfer double political jeopardy in 2019, as all indicators suggest that his defection to the PDP will neither fetch him the presidency against the hugely popular President Muhammadu Buhari, nor the governorship seat, were he to seek re-election for second term, having abandoned his godfather who still pulls the strings in the Sokoto political chess board.
Close friends of Tambuwal are beginning to fear that this single political misstep could accelerate the end of a once promising political career for the former House Speaker, since he could lose out on both ends, what the Hausa say, “an yi biyu babu” (no presidency, no governor).They are quick to remind him, that safe for the influence of the godfather, Aminu Tambuwal was not the most qualified aspirant on the APC platform for the Job in 2015.
He got the job because he was adopted by Wamakko, who freely placed the party structure at his feet.
It is however regrettable that as soon as Tambuwal got into office, he started nursing other ideas that set him at cross purposes with his godfather who patiently tolerated him until he committed the blunder of defecting to PDP.
Gov. Tambuwal had begun to hobnob with the likes of former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, who, himself was retired from Sokoto politics by Wamakko.
At some point, he got so intoxicated with power that he assumed that he had become a ‘power house’, and could do things completely independent of his godfather.
It was obvious that Tambuwal’s vaulting ambition to run for the presidency of Nigeria got into his head as he abandoned the state and spent more time in Abuja or elsewhere, junketing about with his new found political associates for the 2019 presidential project.
Either because of his naivety or youthful exuberance, Tambuwal forgot that all politics is local.
Rather than consult with those who gave him the structure to become governor, he chose to relate more with political friends who count for little or nothing when it comes to Sokoto politics.
His defection from the APC was, therefore, seen as the peak of his political folly, from which many believe he may never recover.
As for Magatakarda, generally regarded as the political tactician of the Caliphate, the exit of his former godson from the party was a good riddance to bad rubbish as he now has the opportunity of re-engineering the APC for the 2019 elections.
‘Alu,’ as he is fondly addressed by admirers, no doubt, holds the ace, and this could be seen from the large number of politicians who now throng his residence both in Abuja and Sokoto to pledge their support and loyalty to the master tactician.
The latest of all was the former PDP chairman in Sokoto, Alhaji Shehu Tambuwal, who defected to the APC together with about 10,000 members.
In Sokoto politics, it is the Magatakarda that leads while others follow.
Those who choose to go their separate ways like Gov.
Aminu Tambuwal just did, may have embarked on a journey to political perdition.
Mohammed is a political analyst based in Abuja

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