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Tag: SOKOTO

  • Results of presidential election in Sokoto State

    Results of presidential election in Sokoto State

    Collation Officer, Prof Abdul Bagudu presided over the announcement of  the result by officers of each  Local Government Area at the INEC Sokoto State Collation Centre for Presidential Election in Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute for Kor’ and General Studies, Sokoto last night.

    The results were as follows:

    In Kware LGA: APC polled 25,286 as PDP recorded 5,339 votes.

    According to him, PDP agents refused to sign, although Nigerian Security and Civil Defefence Corps (NSCDC) collected its copy.
    In Dange Shumi LGA the APC polled 31,036 while scored PDP 6,918.

    In Guronyo LGA: APC scored 28,950 while PDP scored 7,664.

    The only party agent that signed was APC as the PDP agent refused to sign.

  • Bafarawa, Shagari rift tears Sokoto PDP apart

    Bafarawa, Shagari rift tears Sokoto PDP apart

    Efforts by the Presidency and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resolve the lingering crisis in the party’s Sokoto State chapter without success appears to have put the party’s chances in next month’s governorship election in serious jeopardy, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo

    Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Muhktar Shagari, is seething in anger.

    For the second time in eight years, his dream of ruling his home state has crashed almost irretrievably.

    In the run-up to the 2007 general elections, Shagari, who served as the Minister of Water Resources under the Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration, indicated interest in running for the governorship seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Leveraging on his ministerial position, popularity in the Sokoto PDP and closeness to the then president, Shagari beat all comers to the governorship ticket with minimal efforts.

    But his joy was short-lived. No sooner had he secured the ticket than he was “prevailed” upon to step down and cede it to a relative newcomer in the party, Aliyu Magatarkarda Wammako, then the deputy governor.

    Wammako’s emergence as the PDP governorship candidate was the product of high-level negotiations reportedly brokered by the Presidency determined to dislodge the ruling All Nigeria Peoples Party, which had been in power for eight years.

    Having fallen out with his then boss, Attahiru Bafarawa, who refused to back his intention to take over from him, Wammako defected to the PDP and was compensated with the governorship ticket. Though shattered by the disappointment of having his ticket withdrawn, Shagari took the setback in his strides.

    As a loyal party man, he agreed to abide by the party’s decision and in compensation; he was named the running mate to Wammako. The 2007 governorship election soon came, with Wammako defeating the ANPP candidate and Bafarawa’s preference, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi.

    Between Wammako and Shagari

    For six years, Wammako and Shagari worked together harmoniously. The defection of Wammako from the PDP to the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) however put spanner in their relationship, with Shagari declining to leave PDP.

    His decision was connected to a deal he allegedly struck with the Presidency, that he would be handed the PDP structures in the state in addition to an offer of the 2015 governorship ticket.

    Second time unlucky

    Still basking in the euphoria of his new status as the ‘new leader’ of Sokoto PDP, the party’s governorship ticket appeared a done deal for Shagari. But the permutation soon changed with the unexpected defection of ex-Governor Bafarawa from the APC to PDP following a superiority clash with his arch rival, Wammako, who on joining APC, automatically became the leader of the party in the state.

    Within weeks of his entry into PDP, Bafarawa practically relegated Shagari to the background in the party, a development that angered the deputy governor and his legion of supporters.

    To make matters worse, Shagari lost the governorship primaries to Ambassador Abdallah Wali. And despite persistent efforts by the Presidency and the national leadership of PDP to enlist his support for Wali, the deputy governor has distanced himself from the governorship campaign, while telling whoever cares to listen that his major priority is the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Presently, there are fears that if the conflict is allowed to linger on much longer, it could further widen the crack in the state chapter of the party and snowball into a serious violence among its supporters.

    Already, the two key political figures have launched a ‘media war’, while their supporters have resorted to name calling in a bid to express grievances over the result of the gubernatorial primary election which is being faulted by Shagari, the former Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman and Senator Abubakar Umar Gada.

    Intrigues before the governorship primaries

    Prior to the governorship primaries, there had been a fierce competition, especially between Shagari and Wali in their bid to win the support of delegates. The competition started at the inauguration of the new executive committee of the party, where Wali announced a gift of one brand new Peugeot (406 model) car to each of the 23 local government chairmen of the party. The announcement precipitated a thunderous applause and the shout of “Sai Wali”.

    Sensing the implication of Wali’s gift to his ambition, the deputy governor in a swift reaction, announced a gift of motorcycles to each local government secretaries and ward chairmen of the party.

    While defending his preference for ward chairmen and local government secretaries, Shagari said it was based on his conviction that they were the grassroots mobilisers, stressing that it would be disastrous for any right thinking politician to marginalise them.

    The rivalry between the two became more intense on the day of the primary election when Shagari alleged that there was an importation of delegates who were not genuine members of the party by Bafarawa and his favourite, Wali. To express his displeasure, he along with his supporters walked out of the Gigimya Memorial Stadium, venue of the election.

    The situation gave Wali an easy victory as he got over 500 votes, leaving the deputy governor with only one vote.

    While making his stand known on the election, Shagari contended that the whole process was marred by irregularities, including the dragging of electoral process to lapse into the night for the sole purpose of rigging the poll.

    In apparent reference to how his loyalty to the party has not paid off for him, Shagari in another interview, said nobody in the state had laboured for the PDP than him, stressing that he deserved to be compensated with an automatic ticket. This view was also shared by many political analysts in the state.

    He also referred to an agreement which he said members of the old PDP entered with Governor Aliyu Wamakko shortly after he was cajoled to join the party by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He recalled that his ticket was given to Wamakko after the latter agreed that he (Shagari) would succeed him after completing his tenure.

    However, Wali refuted this claim, saying there was no such agreement. He challenged the deputy governor to produce evidence to prove his claims.

    In an interview with newsmen in Sokoto, Wali faulted Shagari for his refusal to accept defeat in an election which he described as one of the fairest in the state.

    “In the real sense, nobody should have the moral justification to allege that delegates are being manipulated.  Do not forget that these delegates were accredited in front of the three certified agents who represented the three aspirants.

    “To us, it is embarrassing for anybody to raise the issue of fake delegates during the election. The venue is in an open stadium and not in a hall. The INEC officials were present and they monitored the processes. The security agents were also present at the venue. To many, the election is one of the most transparent in the state,” he asserted.

    Wali, who is the Nigerian Ambassador to Morocco, admitted that Shagari’s decision not to accept the outcome of the election would be a challenge. He, however, called it a “manageable challenge”.

    “The reason why we believe it is a manageable challenge is that the election is not a question of somebody winning 100 percent. We only won the 74 percent of the total votes counted, which means three quarters of our party faithful shared our beliefs and dreams. That is a strong percentage of the party followership, which can lead the party to success.

    Wali also disagreed with those who believe that Bafarawa’s coming to PDP has done more harm to the party than good. Rather, he says the former governor’s membership has galvanised the party in the state.

    He said, “If you will recall, in 2003, former Governor Bafarawa was leading the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) to run for the second term and I was running on the PDP platform, hoping for my first term in government. But he (Bafarawa) won the election in that contest. Today, the two of us are working together. We believe that we have the necessary structures to swing the elections in favour of the PDP. So, we hope that with God’s help, it will come to pass.”

    But the popular questions being asked in the state now are: can the PDP make any impact in the 2015 general elections with a fractured house? Can Wali defeat the APC candidate, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who also happens to be his in-law? These questions and more will be given definite answers on March 28 and April 11.

  • Goodluck Jonathan’s women rally

    Goodluck Jonathan’s women rally

    WOMEN AT THE GOODLUCK JONATHAN WOMEN CAMPAIGN RALLY IN SOKOTO ON TUESDAY (3/3/15). 1127/3/3/15/MNB/BJO/AIN/NANWOMEN AT THE GOODLUCK JONATHAN WOMEN CAMPAIGN RALLY IN SOKOTO ON TUESDAY. NAN
    WOMEN AT THE GOODLUCK JONATHAN WOMEN CAMPAIGN RALLY IN SOKOTO ON TUESDAY (3/3/15).
    1127/3/3/15/MNB/BJO/AIN/NANWOMEN AT THE GOODLUCK JONATHAN WOMEN CAMPAIGN RALLY IN SOKOTO ON TUESDAY. NAN

  • Sokoto varsity gets N2.09b from TETFUND in seven months, says VC

    The Vice Chancellor of  Sokoto State University, Prof. Nuhu Yaqub, said yesterday that the institution received over N2.09 billion from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund  (TETFUND) in the last seven months.

    He spoke in Sokoto at the matriculation of 1,002 students admitted for the 2014/2015 academic session.

    Prof. Yaqub said the fund would be used to provide two  lecture theatres, begin the building of the Faculty of Science and provide Internet facilities, among others.

    He added:  ‘’The provision of the Internet connections will make the campus ICT-compliant.”

    The don said the government had extended its SURE-P resources to the campus.

    He noted that a computer-based examination centre would be set up in the university.

    Yaqub acknowledged the  priority given the institution by the government.

    He hailed Governor Aliyu Wamakko for supporting the institution.

    The vice chancellor warned the students against flouting  rules and regulations.

    He added: ‘’We will never compromise our standard of discipline and academic excellence. Any contravention by  the workers  and students  will be sanctioned.’’

    Represented by the Special Adviser on Higher Education, Prof. Gajam Bon Ardo, Governor Wamakko promised to continue to fund the institution.

    He said: ‘’I  urge you to reciprocate the huge expenditure of the government and your parents by being dedicated to your studies and shunning vices.’’

  • Burnt Sokoto market regains its vibrancy

    Burnt Sokoto market regains its vibrancy

    there was a reason Sokoto traders and residents despaired when the popular Kara Market went up in flames one year ago. It is one of the biggest markets in the state where most residents bought their livestock for festivities. Grains were also in good supply there. So when the fire came in February, traders wailed because they lost over N1 billion in goods. Their clients were equally worried.

    The gloom is over. The market is back to life, thanks to donations from government, corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals.

    The market, believed to be as old as the Sokoto Caliphate itself, attracts patrons from across Sokoto. Kara Market is also said to substantially boost the economy of the state.

    In its second life, the market is attracting more business and patronage than before, though not many believed it would recover from the inferno which reduced it to rubble.

    It is difficult to believe that market could record such a huge volume of traders hurtling to do business there.

    The market is known for a range of products which have distinguished the caliphate from others. The caliphate is famous for its hides and skin, among which are conference bags, wallets, purses, shoes, belts, among others. Also, several petty side businesses such herbs, wood, second-hand clothing are not in short supply in the market.

    One of the traders at the market Mallam Altine told The Nation that even though the market functions on a daily basis, it is always at its peak on Fridays. On peak days, the human traffic is always huge, with little or no space for smooth movement of any kind right from when the market opens in the morning till it closes in the evening.

    The trader said that the recent introduction of Sokoto Corps Marshals by the Aliyu Wamakko administration has also helped to regulate traffic flow in and out of the market to ensure smooth movement. With the presence of the Marshals, order is gradually being restored in the market. He disclosed that every proud Sokoto indigene believes that the market is a model and symbol of its cultural heritage.

    The market is also known for its elderly master calabash-makers who specialise in carving and design. They are mostly aged 60 and above, though you will still find younger craftsmen there. They produce all sizes and shapes with different designs. While some of the products look ordinary with little or no design, others are painted while some others are designed using fire and are fancied by visitors who buy them for use as gifts and souvenirs.

    Abu Dange, seen making calabash, told The Nation that he had been in the business for over two decades. According to Dange, those engaged in the business come from within and outside Sokoto State.

    He said, “We source some of our materials from Gumi in Kebbi State while others come from Kebbe in Sokoto State. I design all shapes and sizes of calabash for customers and sell at different prices”.

    He said further that the calabash come in two categories, pointing out that the designed ones are more expensive and sells between N1,000 and N1,500 depending on the size, while those without design sells between N300 and N500 each, depending on the size.

    Mamman Bala Mai Kwarya said his 60 years experience has kept him thriving in the calabash business, pointing out that he started making calabash as a young man.

    “My designs are excellent because I have the talent, while prices are unique because I offer customers quality work. I do traditional design especially for brides who use them for interior decorations in their homes. There is also one we do using paint of different colours to design them. The ones we design with fire attract more money than others,” he said.

    Kara market is one of the biggest livestock market in the region. Aminu Sarkin Yaki Mai Tumaki who claimed to have spent not less than 35 years in livestock business at the Kara market said most of the livestock particularly, rams and goats are brought in from neighbouring Niger Republic while some are sourced from within the state and Kebbi, he said.

    “We get some supply from Tambawal, Illela, Shinkafi and Goronyo. But those from Niger Republic are less expensive because they have them in large quantity and different species. Most buyers go for them and we don’t have any problem in transporting them to Sokoto, Nigeria because we adhere to the laws and we have a trusted association which helps the business to grow. Usually, at the end of the end year their prices are low because the supply is on the high side in the market. A ram the sells N50,000 during Sallah festival can go for as low as N30,000 or N25,000. Also, the prices of cows are moderate”.

    The traditional beauty of the livestock market for commoners remain tops with opportunities for middlemen (Dillalai) to participate in all bargains after which they collect commission on every sale. “This is the only avenue through which we feed and manage our families. Sometimes, I network my business from the village with those prospective sellers of their animals to make it easier for me,” said Malam Mudi DanWauru, who said he has been in the business for over 20 years as Dillali (middleman).

    Traditional pot making is not left out. These pots known in local palace as randa are commonly used for water storage, cooking as well as serves as flower pots. In the same vein, farmers from the 23 local government areas of the state patronise the market, bringing their goods and farm products for sale.

    Many described it as second to none in Sokoto State where the business of blacksmiths is also thriving and have produced modern iron gates by specialised welders. Some of the welders who are mostly young, energetic men, graduated through the skills acquisition training  programme instituted and boosted for youth empowerment by the Wamakko administration.

    Waste products collectors who go round town to pick from bins and assemble for buyers for eventual recycling are not left out. They assemble bottles, perfume and fragrance containers, used rubber products, iron, copper, minor spare parts, aluminum, pieces of roofing sheets, etc.

     

  • Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara PDM adopt Buhari, guber candidates

    The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) in the three states of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states on Thursday unanimously adopted the candidacy of All Progressives Congress(APC) Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

    Similarly, the party has thrown it support behind respective governorship candidates of APC in the states.

    In a joint statement by the party’s states chairmen of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, Abubakar Ainu, Ibrahim Master and Umar Gummi, respectively and issued to newsmen, the party alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of president Jonathan had failed Nigerians.

    “It is clear that the PDP government has totally failed in the areas of security, corruption, youth empowerment and job creation, equitable distribution of oil proceeds as well as the Naira value,” the statement read in parts.

    According to the party, it was necessary for Nigerians to join hands together “to ensure that our hard-earned democracy is not totally destroyed.”

    While urging it members and the generality of Nigerians to support the APC, the statement declared that the entire structure of the PDM at all levels would work for the success of the party.

    “We the entire members of the PDM from the wards, local governments and states levels in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara state have unanimously accepted to adopt the candidacy of General Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate and APC gubernatorial candidates in our respective states,” the statement further confirmed.

  • Tambuwal’s agenda for Sokoto

    The ongoing campaigns by various candidates seeking elective posts and their political parties have provided Nigerians with the opportunity to assess those seeking to rule over them for the next four years. When politicians come to the people directly for a face to face interaction, citizens can evaluate their programmes and suitability for the office they are seeking.

    In Sokoto State, attention of voters is now fixed on the plan of action rolled out by the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship contest, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. At the flag-off of his campaign penultimate week, Tambuwal, better known to Nigerians as the ever-smiling and no-nonsense Speaker of the House of Representatives, promised to take the state on a journey of prosperity already started by the incumbent governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.

    The greatest treasure the state is currently enjoying, according to him, is the peace and tranquility found in abundance within its borders. Located in a region bedeviled by the Boko Haram insurgency, Sokoto’s ability to steer off crisis has been a source of admiration for sociologists. Considering its unique position as the centre-point of Islam in Nigeria, Sokoto has in the past taken the lead in finding lasting solutions to the menace of terrorism in the country. Political and religious leaders have, at various times, given a true interpretation of all the tenets of Islam, and have openly abhorred wanton killings and destruction of property.

    The citizens of Sokoto have at various forums harped on the need to ensure continuity of government policies. Many who gave their inputs into the Tambuwal agenda emphasized that coming to start afresh will be detrimental to the prosperity of their state. Their claim followed a close observation of the achievements of Wamakko in critical areas like education, healthcare, social reorientation, youths and sports development and infrastructural development.

    The economic potential of Sokoto is enormous. With the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria factory located in the state and various small and medium scale industries scattered all over, Sokoto has already charted a path to industrialization. As Tambuwal noted in Shagari and Tureta LGAs during his campaign stop, there are also abundant water resources for irrigation farming and other agro-allied activities. The Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority has its headquarters in the capital and so far, there are plans to enhance its capacity to meet the growing needs of the people of the area.

    The people of Sokoto are known for their entrepreneurial disposition. Tambuwal said when elected, the state government will complement their efforts by creating an enabling environment to boost investment and other commercial activities. He said this can be done by ensuring that parameters for ease of doing business are enhanced for both local and foreign investors.

    Given its huge economical potential, it is pertinent to ask: what will the incoming administration do to further harness them to advance the socio-economic development of the state and its people? The initiatives of the present government are numerous. Let us look at a few. The first is the vision of the administration in developing the human resource capacity to meet its development challenges.

    Since its inception in 2007, the administration has invested handsomely in education, based on a vision premised on developing skills for the future industrialization of the state.  The state has its gaze fixed on developing the mining industry in the state in the very near future.

    Today, the human resource to drive that industry is being prepared. For example, quite a number of youths have been abroad to study various courses in Mining and Mineral Engineering. Others went to other parts of Nigeria and Africa to study agricultural extension. All these are done with the aim to ensure that those trained contribute their quota towards the development of various sectors of the state.

    As a leader, the Speaker has promised to lead from the front, working in tandem with other progressive Nigerians from all walks of life to bring about needed change in the socio-economic landscape of his dear state in particular an Nigeria in general. This he said can be done by fully implementing the policies of the APC as espoused in its manifesto.

    Tambuwal remains the quintessential politician who has defied the notion that politicians, especially of the Nigerian variety, cannot say the truth to the powers that be while still in power. By now, Nigerians have come to identify their Number Four citizen as a fearless man whose words are not at variance with his deeds. In a clime polluted by years of sheer indiscipline and unfulfilled promises, the optimism, and testimonies openly exhibited by those who followed his leadership style will no doubt gladden the hearts of the people of Sokoto who are now set to have him as their Leader in the coming years.

    Not since independence have we seen a politician promote an ideology as fervently as the speaker does. Tambuwal has promoted the concept of a strong dichotomy between politics and governance. To him, there is a marked difference between a candidate in electoral contest on the platform of a political party and an elected official who has assumed a non-partisan responsibility and taken oath to protect and preserve the constitution, to serve the people and the nation. While the former is not merely at liberty but under a duty to be partisan, the latter must conduct himself in a manner worthy of the call to non-partisanship in governance. And whenever partisan interests conflict with national interest it is partisan interests that must be sacrificed in the preservation of the national interest.

    In Sokoto today, many are confident that Tambuwal will leverage on his experience and contacts in national and international circle to the benefit of the state. In him, they see a person who will not only redesign the economy of the state, but will also redefining its politics.

     

    •Imam (@imamdimam), wrote from National Assembly, Abuja

  • Sokoto Assembly candidates battle to retain APC tickets

    Sokoto Assembly candidates battle to retain APC tickets

    Two candidates for the Sokoto State House of Assembly election are battling to hold on to their party tickets following moves by various groups in their constituencies to substitute their names ahead of the general elections.

    Abdulwahab Yahaya and Abdullahi Zakari from Goronyo and Rabah State Constituencies, are facing challenges over their qualifications to contest the election.

    A group, Sokoto Stakeholders Forum, has already petitioned the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urging them to stop both Yahaya and Zakari from contesting the election.

    Similarly, the group said it would launch a legal battle to deny the duo the chance to run.

    Speaking to reporters in Sokoto yesterday, one of the petitioners, Musa Abdullahi Mafara, said the two candidates are disqualified from contesting the elections because they do not have the necessary educational qualifications.

    According to him, the two candidates also stand disqualified because they are not registered members of the APC as required by the party’s constitution.

  • PDP can’t win Sokoto, says ex-commissioner

    PDP can’t win Sokoto, says ex-commissioner

    Alhaji Dahiru Yabo, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Commissioner in Sokoto State, spoke with Managing Editor, Northern Operations, Yusuf Alli and Sanni Onogu in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) about the post-primary crisis in the chapter and why the governorship candidate, Ambassador Abdallah Wali, may lose the election. 

    What is the strength of the Sokoto State PDP, since Governor Aliyu Wamakko has left the party?

    You will only appreciate the strength of the PDP in the state, if you have the background of what has happened in the state politically.

    So ,what is the background?

    The background is that Wamakko as a person cannot claim to have any popularity in the state right from 2007 when he claimed to have won the election…

    Claimed to have won?

    Yes. He claimed to have won the election. I can tell you that Wamakko did not win the election, even in 2007, because at the time he joined the PDP, if the PDP did not have the capacity to win the election, he wouldn’t have joined it. He would have remained in his own party. But, because it was the PDP that had the capacity to win the elections, he accepted to join the party and even after joining the party he did not win the election. I was the Chief Returning Officer of the DPP at that time. Even, when they were doing the collation at the INEC, I was the person who protested after observing a lot of irregularities and rigging and the collation had to be suspended for it to be announced two-three hours later around 9.33pm, when there was nobody there, except his followers and journalists, and he was declared the winner. But, we thank God that a court of competent jurisdiction in Kaduna nullified that election because of irregularities and blatant procedural defects.Then, coupled with the antecedents of his stewardship, which is not in conformity with our moral grounds, Wamakko cannot claim to be popular in Sokoto. But, the problem is that he requires somebody who can give him the needed fight politically.

    Has the PDP gotten that person now?

    I don’t think so because the Sokoto State PDP has not gotten the right candidate to withstand the candidate of the All Progressives Congress. The PDP is now fielding the wrong candidate, in the person of Senator Abdallah Wali.

    Why are you saying that Senator Abdallah Wali is a wrong candidate?

    Certainly, he is a wrong candidate because, if you remember, he was a candidate in 2003 and he lost the election woefully. He lost the election because he was not a good candidate. From that time till now, I don’t see any value he has added to his political career. He was a senator, Senate Leader under the Obasanjo Administration, yet, he could not win the election against Bafarawa. Yes, with the support of Muktari Shagari, as very powerful minister that time.

    How did Wali pick the ticket, instead of the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Muktar Shagari?

    There was a repeat of technical mistake politically by the PDP. What happened in 2007 was the same scenario that is repeating itself today. The PDP had a very good candidate, but due to bad advice, they decided to shift, remove their candidate and put somebody, who is not their own, to become the candidate. But, thank God, those people who did that and who caused the problem have now come back to confess what they did and they did the confession individually and collectively. Recently, when Chief Tony Anenih, the Chairman of the PDP BOT chaired a reconciliation meeting in Sokoto with about seven or eight members of his committee, people stood up there to apologise for what they did that time and the person who came second in that election in the person of Ahmed Gusau was among the people who worked against Muktari that time. In fact, he was given the mandate to coordinate the substitution of Muktari with Aliyu Wamakko. Today, he is one of the front runners to make sure that Muktari becomes the candidate. But unfortunately for the second time, the PDP drifted by allowing somebody who intruded into the party to take a bonus of 50 per cent of the structure of the party.

    Who is this intruder you are referring to…

    That is Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, the former governor of Sokoto State, who was an ardent opponent of the PDP from the beginning and who wouldn’t have joined the PDP, if not because he was being pursued by Governor Aliyu Wamakko. He was pursued out of the APC to the PDP because he had lost grip of the party and that is a party he had dominated for over a year, only for it to be taken away from him within the first one week or two. So, if he has capacity, if he is influential, if he is a professor of politics as he calls himself, why didn’t he do it in the APC? Why couldn’t he do it in the ANPP? Why couldn’t he do it in the ACN? Can anybody tell me, if he had ever won election in his ward, which is Bafarawa village, since 2007 till date. So, this is same person that came into the party and was given 50 per cent of the structure and that already gave him ans undue advantage over any other person on the promise that he is just going to midwife among these candidates and that he is not going to have any preferred and that he is hoping to treat them equally. And all the aspirants were loyal to him. They all paid allegiance to him and on the premise that he is going to be fair to everybody. Thank God that when the Anenih Reconciliation Committee came to Sokoto, in the presence of everybody, I pointed it out, because I was privileged to  speak for 15 minutes, and I was able to tell the committee the problems and the reasons why we are having a sort of misunderstanding in the party. One of the reasons I gave them was that Bafarawa, being a leader in the party, somebody who has been given the structure of the party and somebody who had promised to help in coordinating the party had already taken sides by sporting Abdallah Wali. I said this in the presence of Bafarawa, Abdallah Wali and other people present at the meeting. I told them that the indicators were that the person that was made the chairman of the party, that is, Ibrahim Maigoma, had already started playing the posters of Wali in from of his house showing that this is where Bafarawa is and nobody could dispute that. So, if that has happened, then, whatever was the outcome of the primaries should not surprise anybody. Personally I am not surprised.

    Do you see the PDP putting up a good fight and winning the elections?

    Of course, they will win, but not with the wrong candidate. Definitely, we cannot get anywhere with Wali. Wali cannot win his local government under the present dispensation because, don’t forget that Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is now the governorship candidate of the APC. Aminu is an in-law to Wali. He is married to his younger sister. Aminu is from Tambuwal town, the headquarters of the local government. Wali is from Seyina. Even, the PDP congress we had ,his candidate could not win even within the PDP. So, when it comes to the general election, nobody in Sokoto can tell you that Wali can win against Aminu Waziri, even in Tambuwal Local Government. So, somebody as a gubernatorial candidate who cannot win an opposing candidate in your own local government then what is the guarantee that he can win anywhere. The reason is that Wali has no structure himself. He is relying on Bafarawa’s structure and Bafarawa, on his own merit, cannot win election in Sokoto. Bafarawa has already been intimidated by Wamakko. Wamakko seized the ANPP from him when he was a governor. For the second time, he has taken over the APC from him where he even put his own structure. So, what is that magic that he thinks he can perform now to win against Wamakko!

    Will the Sokoto PDP take the advantage of the extension of time granted by INEC for the submission of governorship candidates by political parties to make a change?

    One, after Wali was declared, there was a protest in Sokoto. The second ting is that Muktari Shagari was in Sokoto after the primaries because he came to Abuja and went back to Sokoto and the kind of reception he was given showed the direction of the people and their interest. The APC is happy that Wali was made the governorship candidate by the PDP and the simple reason is because they know he has no structure of his own. He relies on Bafarawa’s structure and, as far as as they are concerned, Bafarawa’s doesn’t have a structure of his own because, as a former governor of Sokoto State for eight years, among all the people that worked with him, both in terms of political appointments and party structure, he cannot count five prominent politicians. Let’s start with his deputy governor. He is not with him. His party chairman is not with him. Out of 14 of us that were his commissioners, only two are with him. Every other person has left him and the records are there. What was his performance in the ACN? What was his performance in the ANPP in the 2011 election? Why is it that he could not remain in APC? Even the person he nominated as a member of the national caretaker committee and that guy was his classmate, he was his very close friend and he was his political associate, Danmadami Isa has left and joined Wamakko. The three gubernatorial candidates that he anointed the one he anointed as a sitting governor under DPP who is Alhaji Maigari Dingiadi, who was his former SSG has joined Wamakko and this is the person who contested against Wamakko and who has been fighting Wamakko for seven years, but he has joined him.

  • Sokoto graduates special marshals

    Sokoto graduates special marshals

    It had the trappings of a military parade. Some 2,200 youths filed past in a well-coordinated march. Taking the salute was Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako.

    It was the graduation day of the state’s special marshals who would help manage vehicular traffic, ensure public order and keep the state tidy. It was a well-thought-out plan to fight unemployment as well as help other existing personnel in public duties.

    The people watched and cheered as the youths savoured their day.

    The Wamakko administration said the establishment of the Sokoto Corp Marshals was part of its pledge to create employment for the state youths. The training was financed with the state’s share of funds from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

    The Marshals are under the watchful eye of a retired Commissioner of Police, Sa’idu Madawaki. For seven weeks, the youths, drawn from the 23 local local government areas of the state, underwent intensive training in paramilitary exercises before being posted to their duty post after being paid some stipends.

    The Nation was informed that the Marshals will help in security duties. Five hundred of them have been deployed to strategic locations within the state capital while others have been posted to other local government areas. They have also been placed on a money salaries in accordance with the regulations in the state civil service.

    Investigations revealed that those in the state capital have already begun working in the areas of their posting within the metropolis such as roundabouts, junctions, public places such as markets and related areas where traffic congestion and activities are high for control and orderliness. It was also discovered that this measure is already paying off as activities of motorists and other road users who are always in the habit of violating traffic laws have being reduced to the barest minimum.

    In the past, road users especially commercial tricycles were in the habit of violating traffic laws. But since the since the introduction of the marshals, activities of such groups have reduced. Their presence at public events for crowd control and maintaining orderliness in recent times has been commended by residence of the state. A commercial car driver, Malam Almu Dan Ige told The Nation that the people of the state need to cooperate with Marshals in the discharge of their duties. He said, “As you can see, the traffic is under control with the coming of these corps marshals. They are now everywhere in town and we are seeing their positive impact. Their coming has reduced some risks on the roads and install some level of sanity at public places. They are working side by side with the traffic wardens and the lights are functioning too to avoid accidents and disobedience of traffic laws. We need to cooperate with them”.

    He said that the creation of the Marshals has also helped in checking social adversity and redundancy among a significant number youths in the state. They have been equipped with patrol vehicles to monitor and control as well as check excesses of road users, public attitude to discipline and environmental sanity.