2019: Who flies Sokoto APC’s flag?

Sokoto is one of the 19 states where the All Progressives Congress (APC) has opted for indirect primary to choose its governorship flag bearers for next year’s general elections. As the Northwest state gets ready for the exercise this weekend, a social and political commentator, Ridwan Nadabo, looks at the chances of the aspirants and how the party leader, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, will manage the crisis that may arise after the shadow poll.

SENATOR Aliyu Wamako’s political brinkmanship is about to be stretched to the limits, as he tries to resolve the knotty issue of who becomes the next governor of Sokoto State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is because several of his god sons are locked in the struggle to succeed the incumbent Governor Aminu Tambuwal, also a former god son, who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

With the governorship primary scheduled for this weekend, to select the candidate that will fly the party’s flag in the state, it remains to be seen how Wamako would handle what close political associates have described as a fierce political challenge.

The two most prominent aspirants among those that have lined up for the race are the serving Deputy Governor Ahmed Aliyu and Faruku Yabo. The duo belongs to the Wamako School of politics.

Other interested god sons, like Yusuf Suleiman and Abubakar Shehu Tambuwal, are said to have retreated to the backgrounds, having not received the nod from their godfather.

Aliyu and Yabo appear to be ahead in the scheming for the APC ticket and the contest may eventually be between them. Both Aliyu and Yabo served as commissioners under Wamako for eight years. Aliyu is currently the deputy governor.

So far, both of them have submitted their nomination forms and have been screened by the national headquarters of the party.

Many have tipped Aliyu to fly the party’s flag, because supporters of APC have unalloyed confidence that he would not disappoint them.  The Deputy Governor not only parades impressive academic credentials, he has also demonstrated rare loyalty to the people and leadership within the APC.

He has a record of serving as Finance Commissioner under Wamako for about eight years before becoming Tambuwal’s deputy. His three and half years in office as second in command to Tambuwal is seen by many as added advantage for him; having operated at very elevated level from the seat of power.

This, perhaps, explains why close watchers of the political succession game in Sokoto believe Aliyu has an edge over Yabo. The latter is qualified too for the plum job, but he does not possess the requisite work experience at such a high level in government.

Sources close to Wamako have also hinted that Aliyu might be his preferred option, because being an insider in Tambuwal’s administration, the new APC government that may be headed by him will be able to hit the ground running, because he already has idea about the workings of government.

Wamako is also believed to be eager to reward the Deputy Governor for his rare courage and loyalty shown to him and the party, by refusing to defect along with his former principal to the PDP.

It is also being argued that Aliyu, by the virtue of his position as Deputy Governor, is the most senior member of the APC in government after the defection of Tambuwal from the party. Therefore, it is expected that he should naturally assume the position as leader of the party in the state.

For Wamako, his preference for the Deputy Governor as natural successor to Tambuwal could not have been better explained, considering the fact that he has not only met all the criteria, but also because of his loyalty to the party.

Besides, it is being speculated that supporters of Yabo may have been compromised by the Tambuwal-led opposition who has been accused of being the sponsors of the crisis in the Sokoto chapter of the APC.

Those making this allegation claim that the sighting of Alhaji Umarun Kwabo, a known APC chieftain in Sokoto along with Barrister Inuwa Abdulkadir, the APC National Vice Chairman (Northwest), also from Sokoto, at a campaign rally organised by Governor Tambuwal in Birnin Kebbi recently, are pointers to the fact that they may be working for the PDP, as moles in the Sokoto APC family.

With this scenario, it will require the sagacity and acumen of the former governor-turned godfather to skillfully manage the crisis that may be thrown up by the party’s primary.