By Muhammad Akibu Dalhatu
By any measure of responsible discourse, Mr Sai’du Sani’s article, “Sokoto: A Backward Eye on Tambuwal’s Misses”, is less a critique and more a desperate exercise in political revisionism. It reads like a hit piece commissioned to whitewash today’s inadequacies by demonising yesterday’s stewardship.
Let us be clear: the easiest way to win political points in a fragile democracy is to inherit credit and assign blame. That Mr Sani has chosen this route is hardly surprising. What is surprising, however, is the wilful disregard for fact and context in his fevered attempt to erase the towering contributions of Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to the development of Sokoto State.
1. Governance with Vision, Not Vengeance
Tambuwal’s tenure was defined by purposeful leadership, not performative optics. Contrary to Mr Sani’s insinuations, Tambuwal was never obsessed with self-glorification. He focused on policy reform, institutional strengthening, and investment in human capital.
One of his most remarkable legacies was in basic education, where Sokoto — historically one of the lowest-ranking states in literacy and school enrolment — began to record measurable progress. Under his leadership:
• Sokoto State became a national model for girls’ education, through strategic partnerships with UNICEF, which commended the state for increasing girl-child enrolment by over 100,000 pupils between 2016 and 2020.
• His administration implemented a Cash Transfer Programme to incentivise poor families to enrol and retain their children in school, particularly girls.
• Tambuwal also introduced free uniforms, sandals, and instructional materials for over 500,000 pupils, in partnership with the World Bank-supported Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) initiative.
In recognition of these efforts, the World Bank ranked Sokoto as one of the best-performing states under the BESDA programme, both in terms of implementation and impact. This led to increased funding from development partners and allowed the state to scale up its non-formal learning centres in hard-to-reach areas.
He also approved the recruitment and training of over 2,000 qualified teachers, along with a 20% increase in salaries for teachers posted to rural communities, further improving motivation and quality of service delivery in public schools.
His administration built over 1,500 classrooms across the state, rehabilitated dormant schools, ensured the prompt payment of teachers’ salaries, and introduced a rigorous education quality assurance framework to monitor teaching standards.
In effect, Tambuwal’s education reforms were not only visible — they were measurable, recognised, and applauded by both local and international institutions.
Beyond education, Tambuwal championed governance reforms that enhanced transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility. His administration’s achievements in prudent financial management were also recognised by the World Bank under the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme. Sokoto State received multiple commendations and financial grants under SFTAS for meeting stringent criteria on budget credibility, financial reporting, debt sustainability, and procurement reforms — clear evidence that governance under Tambuwal was not just ambitious, but accountable and transparent.
His administration also prioritised healthcare delivery, upgrading dozens of primary healthcare centres and launching one of the most ambitious maternal and child health programmes in Sokoto’s history.
2. Water infrastructure and misplaced claims
It is laughable — if not tragic — that water delivery is now being paraded as the singular metric of governance success. Tambuwal’s administration invested in sustainable solutions, including the expansion of water schemes and the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure such as the Goronyo and Shagari dams. Water, like governance, is not resolved overnight — especially not in mere months, as Mr Sani would have the public believe. Indeed, even in criticising Tambuwal, his detractors are compelled to measure success by the foundations he laid.
3. Transparency and Transition
The claim that Tambuwal left no handover notes is not only false — it is absurd. Official documentation, audited accounts, and administrative records were duly handed over to the incoming administration. If chaos exists today, it is not a legacy of the past; it is a consequence of the present.
4. Financial Responsibility
On the issue of state finances, Tambuwal did not run a government of slogans. Every naira expended was documented and subjected to audit. If there are credible allegations concerning the sale of state assets, the current administration possesses both the files and the legal authority to act. What it cannot do is rewrite a record that is already in the public domain.
5. The Integrity of Silence
Tambuwal has maintained a dignified silence since leaving office — not from fear, but from a deep understanding of the burden of leadership. His political career has spanned the legislature, the executive, and the diplomatic corridors of the nation. He need not respond to every outburst or provocation. His legacy is measured in commissioned projects, instituted reforms, and improved lives — not in sirens, headlines, or social media theatrics.
6. A Governor, Not a Gladiator
Leadership is not defined by attacking one’s predecessors. It is defined by the capacity to build upon their efforts, improve systems, and take responsibility. To govern through bitterness and blame is to miss the very essence of public service.
Tambuwal remains a national figure of substance — not because of curated online nostalgia, but because his record transcends party lines and withstands the test of time. He is not battling irrelevance; he is rising above pettiness and political theatrics.
To those who think Sokoto forgets, we say this: the people remember who led with humility, who governed with vision, and who respected the mandate they were given. And yes — they will remember again in 2027.
History is not shaped by propaganda. It is shaped by truth, by people, and by time. And time, as always, is on the side of those who served with honour.
Muhammad Akibu Dalhatu, Former Commissioner, Ministry of Information and Societal Reorientation, Sokoto State.
