Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Sokoto State, the seat of the Caliphate, one Kande Ibrahim, a non-existent being I am sure, made fruitless efforts to discredit Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, a former Governor of Sokoto State and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the election.
In his piece: “In Sokoto, the odds favour ANPP,” Ibrahim tried to resurrect an obvious politically ‘dead’ politician, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, and a ‘dead’ party, the All Nigeria Peoples Party, against a vibrant, dogged and people-oriented leader, Wamakko, and of course the largest party in Africa, the PDP.
As it is wont of every drowned politician, like Bafarawa and the ANPP, to always cry foul ahead of an obvious defeat, making baseless allegations and accusations just to curry public sympathy, Ibrahim was at his best in the piece. However, unknown to him, in his attempt to paint Wamakko black, he ended up reminding the people how unworthy and inconsistent Bafarawa is as a politician.
There is no gainsaying that Wamakko has written his name in the sands of time in Sokoto State with track records of his all-round and enviable achievements in just one term as governor of the state compared with an eight years that was enveloped with corruption and all manner of sharp practices against the people. Little wonder the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is dancing in court with Bafarawa.
Such wastages of the eight years of Bafarawa is what the good people of Sokoto cannot afford to tolerate again from a godfather and his lackey or yes-man. Since 2007, Sokoto people have concluded that never will a godfather decide or choose a governor for them. Rather, the power was given to the people by Almighty Allah with the election of Wamakko as governor and that power still resides with the people and come next Saturday, the good people of Sokoto will use their power of ballot, to return Wamakko as governor to continue his excellent people-oriented programmes. Sokoto people are wiser and will not need a godfather that will mortgage her future with a teleguided godson like Alhaji Yushau Ahmed, as governor. What we need in Sokoto is an Allah ordained governor, which we got in 2007 and will get next week, INSHALLAH.
Let me agree with Alhaji Yushau Ahmed, the ANPP candidate, who said in his interview with ThisDay, February 8, 2012: “Sokoto needs a proactive governor.” He is very correct. But that proactive governor cannot be him, because Sokoto had had a proactive governor in Wamakko already. From the mood and feelers in Sokoto, it is obvious that the good and law abiding people of Sokoto are at home with the PDP and Wamakko as their new governor.
What makes Ibrahim reason that “the Yushau campaign team powered by Bafarawa and other important stakeholders in the state will surely carry the day.” Haba-Bafarawa? Carry the day? Kai-in- Sokoto? After he wandered like a political-prostitute from the ANPP, to the Democratic Peoples Party and then the Action Congress of Nigeria and back to a dead ANPP? Well, even Nigerians outside Sokoto State know that Bafarawa has nothing meaningful to contribute democratically. If there is anything left of him, ACN would not have thrown him out at the 2011 presidential primaries.
Talking about power of incumbency, Wamakko does not need that to get re-elected. In 2007 when he was first elected governor, as an opposition candidate, Bafarawa and his minions were enjoying the power of incumbency but they didn’t do anything in the state. The people were fed up with them and didn’t waste time in throwing them out. Indeed, the chips are down and the drowned chicken has come home to roost. And we shall see him roost.
Any thinking that the people of Sokoto will choose ANPP and its candidate, Yushau, is not just an illusion, but an attempt to cover tracks of corruption cases before the EFCC. Sokoto had no ‘glorious years’ of any kind under Bafarawa. If it did, how come things were so bad until Wamakko came to rescue us. Perhaps, the ‘glorious years’ referred to here, are the cases before the EFCC.
It is only those that have not been to Sokoto State that will not understand the impact of Wamakko’s regime. Wamakko has done more and better roads and created environments for business investments. He has given our people hope and we now believe in what a people-oriented government can do. In terms of infrastructural development, what Bafarawa couldn’t do in eight years, Wamakko has done in just four years.
We cannot waste time talking about Yushau because he is no match to Wamakko. In fact, the day he was declared candidate for the election was the day everybody in Sokoto concluded that the election is not a contest for Wamakko.
Make no mistake about it: there is nothing ANPP can do in Sokoto because the party is already struggling with an internal crisis occasioned by Bafarawa’s return. I am from Sokoto, and live here. I know what is happening. Right now, some chieftains of ANPP are talking to the PDP because they are not at home with the destructive nature of ‘Bafarawaism,’ a destructive-catasrophic-style he has introduced in every party he goes to. If in doubt, ask Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (ANPP), Gen. Jeremiah Useni (DPP), and Bola Tinubu (ACN).
From what is on ground and the feeling of the people, if the ANPP is in the race, it is clearly not known to the people because Wamakko has dominated the race so far and he is in control of the state through projects he executed as governor. All local government chairmen and counsellors, all state House of Assembly members, all House of Representatives members and senators are with Wamakko. The PDP is the party on the lips of every voter here.
Therefore, in Sokoto, the odds of uncoordinated and incoherent ANPP and other parties favour the PDP.
Abdulkadir wrote from Abuja.