Like in most states, permutations and horse-trading, ahead of the 2023 general elections, have become intense in Sokoto State.
With the political transfer window (defection) still wide open, parties and candidates are mindful of not being caught off guard in recruiting strategic members into their fold.
Over the years, Sokoto State has been a key pawn in the political chessboard. However, the state’s politics has been characterised by defections since this political dispensation which started in 1999.
Not even the governors have been spared, as all of them namely, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa (1999-2007), Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (2007-2015), and the incumbent, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, all moved from one party to the other while in office.
As such, pundits are quick to allude that defection seems to have become a mainstay of the state’s political DNA.
As such it was not strange that the state has witnessed, arguably, the most political defections in the build up to the 2023 election. And it has not abated if the report surrounding the deputy governor of the state is anything to go by.
So far, defections across political divides in Sokoto State, has been a ding-dong affair. Notable former APC stalwarts in the state who ditched the party for the PDP are Yusuf Suleiman, former Minister of Transport/Sport; Senator Bello Jibrin Gada, former Minister Culture and Tourism, Honourable Abubakar Balarabe Salame, former acting Governor, former Speaker Sokoto House of Assembly, serving member House of Representatives, representing Gwadabawa/Ilella Federal Constituency and Rt. Hon Aminu Achida, serving Speaker, Sokoto House of Assembly.
The rest are Hon Abubakar Gumbi, APC gubernatorial candidate; Hon Yusuf Isa Kurdula, serving member representing Tangaza/Gudu federal Constituency, Hon Abdullahi Hassan, former chairman, Sokoto North local government, including their numerous supporters.
However, it has not been a one way traffic. Leading the pack from PDP to the APC are Honourable Ibrahim Gidado, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the incumbent Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Isa Salihu Bashar Kalenjeni, alongside eight councillors of the LGA.
Barely twenty four hours after the defection of Hon Salihu Bashar Kalenjeni alongside eight Councillors, a serving commissioner for Careers and Security Matters in Tambuwal’s Government, Colonel Garba Moyi Isa (rtd), also defected from the PDP to the APC.
Just last week Friday, APC ward leaders in Dingyadi-Badawa under Bodinga Local Government, the home local government of the Minister for Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, defected to the PDP.
Topmost on the defectors list is the ward secretary, Ummarun Hassan and Assistant Treasurer, Manu Abubakar. Others are Barno Akamawa, the ward Public Relations Officer (PRO) and four ward delegates, Shehu Abubakar, Sani Modi, Sunusi Imam and Bello Alhaji, as well as hundreds of their supporters in the area.
Receiving them into the party, Alhaji Bello Goronyo, the state PDP chairman, assured them of equal treatment with all the party members across the state.
“You are all now full members of the PDP and I want to assure you of equal treatment with all our members in the state,” he said.
Goronyo further promised to carry them along while calling on them to use their wealth of experience in politics to ensure the success of the party during the 2023 general elections.
Introducing the defectors earlier, Alhaji Aminu Bala, the commissioner of Lands and Housing, stated that their action followed the good leadership style of Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Responding on behalf of the new members, the former APC ward secretary, said they were convinced to move enmasse into PDP because of the good leadership style of the government in Sokoto State.
“We are happy to identify with the ongoing development across Sokoto state. As such, we promised our loyalty and support to the PDP, to ensure its success during the forthcoming general elections across the state and the country in general,” Hassan said.
Before the euphoria in the camp of the PDP died down, the APC in retaliation plucked the Gwadabawa local government PDP women leader, a scenario sources said, “could hit the state governor hard,” considering the ease with with she was lured into the APC in a political enclave which is supposed to be the governor’s chief of staff’s base.
But there is a larger concern within the PDP fold. The continued PDP membership of the deputy governor Hon Manir Dan’Iya, has been a subject of interest.
Although it was initially being discussed in hush tones and regarded as mere rumour, the situation came to the fore when supporters of the PDP governorship candidate Alhaji Sa’idu Umar reacted to it.
Umar’s followers on social media platforms have been calling out the deputy governor on his romance with the APC and when he would move to the opposition platform.
When contacted, Nafi’u Muhammad Lema, an aide to Sokoto PDP gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Sa’idu Umar, denounced allegation traced to the PDP governorship candidate in his entirety.
He categorically said, “I am not speaking for Alhaji Sa’idu Umar, because I do not have his consent to do so. All what you are asking me to react against, smack of sponsored, campaign of calumny against Alhaji Sa’idu Umar.
“The PDP governorship candidate is preoccupied with reaching out to all electorates, the campaign process officially begins. We need everybody on board and, we believe with genuine supports, victory is assured.”
Still, there are claims among some pundits that Dan’Iya, going by his rising profile, could impact the outcome of 2023 polls in the state. And his utmost decision prior to the final confirmation of candidates lists by INEC fixed for September 20, he (Manir), may dictate where the political pendulum swings in Sokoto.
Dan’Iya is currently Sokoto PDP senatorial candidate for the 2023 election, a position allotted to him after Governor Aminu Tambuwal allegedly denied him the governorship ticket despite being popular among party faithful in the state.
But it was learnt that the PDP has not been committed enough to reconciling with him, feelers from his camp indicate.
For pundits, Dan’Iya seems like the proverbial beautiful bride being courted by the opposition APC.
It was learnt that APC stalwarts in the state are lobbying Senator Aliyu Wamakko to receive Dan’Iya into the party even though they are poised to contest the same senatorial ticket.
The calculation for those pushing for the deputy governor to join the APC is that he would help the party win the larger election. But the caveat is for Wamakko to yield the ticket to the deputy governor whose political following, according to them, seems to be on the rise.
However, indications from Wamakko’s camp show that no decision has been made in that regard yet.
An APC stalwart, who spoke to LEADERSHIP Friday on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the plot to bring Dan’Iya into their fold is thickening and all loose ends are being tightened.
“The deputy governor is no doubt a grassroot politician and the PDP cannot make any political headway without him but, see how he was maltreated, denied the governorship ticket, relegated and being ridiculed in the party affairs.
“It is a known fact that, allocating him PDP senatorial ticket to contest against the incumbent, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, is more or less sending him on political suicide.
“Every political watcher in Sokoto knows that the deputy governor is a political asset that deserves high respect. If he decides to see reason and join APC, quote me, midway into the elections, APC would be declared victorious.”
Expectedly, the defection narrative about the deputy has raised questions about his relationship with his boss.
Reacting however, one of Dan’Iya’s aide, who pleaded not to be named, said “I am not aware of any rift between my principal and his boss. Neither, am I privy to any political arrangement between him and the opposition party.
“All that you are seeing is the handwork of a political jobber, whose mission is to heat up the polity. I will advise you to ignore them.
“My principal is one hundred percent loyal to the governor. He has not told me of any disagreement or rift whatsoever, with his boss. Politically, he has moved on after the outcome of the governorship primaries because he is a firm believer that Allah is the ultimate giver of power,” the media aide stated.
Clearly the buildup to the polls presents an interesting scenario in Sokoto State.
Whichever way, the political game requires strategy and adequate preparation, formidable structure, popular candidates, financial capability, peoples’ goodwill and more. Hence the defection game intensifies in the state.
