Wamakko’s 17 years of demystifying cluster of political forces in Sokoto remains a phenomenon occasioned by his listening and accessible nature. Adamu Suleiman writes
In a single turn of political events, Sokoto, the seat of the caliphate, has witnessed a dramatic breakthrough in its political landscape with attendant surprises in the last 17 years.
Since 2007, an unprecedented political journey has set in in the caliphate. The remarkable landmark record is no doubt credited to Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko who was then governor of the state.
His vision sharpened the stage for a political agenda that brought him to the fore.
No mistaken fact that Senator Wamakko stepped into the scene of Sokoto politics with a purpose. He was armed and braced by his resilience and penchant for advancing the state.
Despite his political bravery and permutations, Wamakko was, however, exposed to rigorous hurdles and challenges but took advantage of his bold and strategic approach to clear the coast.
As a career teacher, the then governor of Sokoto State managed his aspiration alongside his teaching experience to pave the space for himself.
He employed his robust human relations and sense of simplicity and humour built over the years as a listening figure in taking his first step forward. This smoothly helped to launch his political aspiration among equals with ease in the caliphate.
Overwhelmingly as it were, Wamakko began his real political hurdles between 2006/2007amidst serious tackles when as deputy governor to his boss, former governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa who was set to deplete him politically.
The duo pitched grounds and parted ways to short-live the party ( ANPP) on which platform they emerged in 1999.
Governance began to attract some hiccups occasioned by seeming misgivings and vendetta between the two political foes.
Wamakko at a time, became politically irked and almost skimmed out by his predecessor and former boss, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa who ensured all apparatus of powers attached to him were taken away.
As it persisted, Wamakko was relegated without official recognition as a deputy governor during functions and events which he was seldom notified or allowed to attend.
An intra-party crisis began to rare in, hitherto, led to a serious tackle when Bafarawa tactically brewed the lines of frustration against him with the attendant emerging threat of impeachment which failed to yield results. All in a bid to frustrate Wamakko’s rising popularity not to contest the state first seat.
The state assembly lawmakers became consumed in the web of the increasing crisis between the two sides.
The then thirty state assembly members were pushed to belong to either of the camps as they could not be on the right track to be in the same direction.
The seeming crisis opened the gate of division among the lawmakers. Eventually, nine of the lawmakers who pitched side with Wamakko got provoked by the rest 21 with Bafarawa as tension deepened.
The minority nine stood their ground in defence of Wamakko over the impeachment threat, hence flexed muscles in a free-for-all all against 21.
The wave of party crisis which contained, did not weigh down Wamakko’s resilience as he clipped to wrestle for the ANPP which eventually came under his control at the state level with all the executives on his side.
However, the development forced Bafarawa to settle for the option B strategy to form a new political platform in order to fast track forming a government that would succeed him.
Then, came the newborn political platform, the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) at the twilight of his administration.
Exactly on August 20, 2006, DPP was ushered in with Rtd Major General Jeremiah Timbut Useni as its National Chairman and Bafarawa who then arrogated to himself, ‘ Professor of Politics,’ skewed to pick the party’s presidential standard flag bearer.
While the battle was at its peak of tough opposition struggles, Wamakko whose impeachment saga failed for resignation, began to brace his structures and held sway in the length and breadth of the state, with increasing support of electorates and people of the state.
The strength of support and solidarity for Wamakko from all ages and classes of people began to manifest in multiples across the state. A trend likened to a phenomenon as described by pundits.
The development further widened the horizon in favour of Wamakko who continued to enjoy the space until he broke the jinx in 2007 to emerge governor of Sokoto State following a purposeful marriage of convenience driven by then President Olusegun Obasanjo who dramatically pushed hard to lure Wamakko to PDP.
Wamakko who defected from the ANPP to PDP had an overriding edge in terms of popularity and structures against all other contenders vying for the state governorship seat.
Obasanjo prevailed on former Minister of Water Resources, Mukhtari Shagari after emerging as the standard bearer of PDP to step down for Wamakko. Obasanjo’s efforts worked the process which picked Wamakko to fly the PDP ticket and won the poll.
Wamakko’s emergence on the PDP platform resurrected and actively braced the party in the caliphate.
Taking the mantle of leadership was a task he solemnly aspired to protect and respect for the development of the state.
Unlike scenarios in other states, Wamakko began with a vow to distance his family from affairs of governance in the caliphate.
He was emphatic by not operating the office of the first lady and separating his family from government engagements, not even bringing his children close to the corridors of government in any guise.
This strategic and deliberate step attracted more than expected respect and face value for him in multiple folds from the Sokoto people.
Also, his listening ears and ability to run inclusive and purposeful government kept his wave of supporters alive and for him.
However, in the eight years of his administration, Wamakko walked on a thorny path of politics occasioned by stiff and antagonistic opposition but managed to sail thragriculturalough.
His first four years was driven to ensure the right and most needed approach for transforming the state was focused on meeting the socio-economic , infrastructural, agricultural, and health yearnings and aspirations of Sokoto people were delivered across the state hence the provision of numerous loan facilities, support tools, and improved grains, fertilizers among other agricultural business drivers to farmers in the state.
He never took with levity, the welfare and wellbeing of Sokoto people by evolving numerous social empowerment schemes including skills acquisition programmes for both the youths and women for self-reliance which captured the attention of their population to brace support for him.
Besides, his unique nature of being accessible lifted his popularity across communities in the state and even beyond.
He kept the wave of his political strategy alive and fulfilling by also operating freely beyond office engagements at home with people, a practice he sustains to date with all classes and strata of persons ( destitute, PLWD, IDPs, youth bodies, NGOs, CSOs, professional bodies, households, children, women (old and young), students’ bodies) among others, visiting his Gawon Nama Sokoto resident for one thing or another.
Hitherto, Wamakko’s most challenging political moment came to the fore while running for his second term of four years where he faced many opposition political treachery but sailed through the troubled waters.
Within the space, besides the crisis of continuity with forces in the state, Wamakko along with his other counterparts were at political daggers drawn with the party and then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Wamakko and some of his colleagues in the party ( PDP) came under the camp of G-7 to challenge what they felt was not in tune with their interests.
The crisis and struggle degenerated leading to the alleged suspension of Wamakko and some of his colleagues by the party. The action was revolted by the G-7 which subsequently worsened the PDP intra-party crisis ahead of the 2015 polls.
The crisis kept rocking the party and subsequently consumed then-PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur with his removal. The crisis in the party continued till when some among the like minds governors under the G-7
dumped the party to join the current All Progressives Congress.
Wamakko’s presence in the APC was another round of battle, his predecessor, former governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa was already a member, founding figure, and leader of APC in the state.
Bafarawa was not ready to relinquish leadership of the party in the state to his successor who was the governor as against the arrangement which specified that a governor is the party leader in a state.
However, Bafarawa refused shifting grounds that he would not allow Wamakko whom he said was trying to smuggle himself through the back door into the party without starting from his constituency as a member.
“We will not allow someone simply because he is a governor to come through the back door as a member and lead the party. Let him follow due process by starting from his ward constituency,” was the statement of former governor Bafarawa before a high-powered reconciliation committee led by then APC National Chairman, John Oyegun who pleaded with Bafarawa but to no avail.
As it were with politicians, Bafarawa eventually kept mute on activities of the party making his permutations to declare his stand as Wamakko joined the party in full swing to begin the needful for its success.
It took no time for Wamakko to curry his way with his entire PDP structure and followers to APC in jubilation.
No sooner than later, Bafarawa who has had rough standings occasioned by vituperation against PDP in his reigns as governor under ANPP where he also pronounced that “I will never join PDP,” took back his words to join the same party after a record-keeping declaration quitting APC.
Yet, Wamakko was never deterred as he held sway with pleasure, the control and influence of the political apparatus in the caliphate with dominance.
Twice, Bafarawa had opportunities featuring governorship candidates under DPP but failed to knock down Wamakko since 2007 even after shifting political platforms until Wamakko concluded his second term.
Still basking on the unprecedented support and popularity, Wamakko stretched to maintain the tempo in 2015. He rejuvenated to further his drive using his personality and incumbency against all odds, to pave the way for the emergence of former Speaker HoRs and immediate past governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to succeed him under the APC banner.
Tambuwal emerged from the solid political structures of Wamakko who hitherto remained a leader, political idol and king-maker in the caliphate’s political dynasty.
It is believed that time is of the essence and also changes person and event. Tambuwal who rode on the back and under the shade of Wamakko’s political architecture to emerge as governor in 2015, did not fail to start building his strength ahead of second term.
It is said in politics that no permanent friend, no permanent enemy but permanent interest. Gradually, things began to take an opposite dimension between Tambuwal and his predecessor. The relationship started going sour with a mild war of words fast echoing.
In the middle of his first term of four years, Tambuwal boldly took the bull by the horns to declare dumping APC for PDP.
He may have observed that the sour relationship that separated him from Wamakko would negatively influence his chances of returning to the second term under APC.
Besides, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto was then Tambuwal’s deputy and the political godson of Wamakko was being groomed.
This may have informed Tambuwal to quit APC for the opposition PDP where he originally belonged so he could maximally drive his incumbency factor to return to power in 2019 which promised a tough battle.
The return of Tambuwal to the PDP opened a new chapter for the party in Sokoto State to rebuild its hope for victory. He took his appreciable number of followers along after losing some who were loyal to Wamakko.
He joined forces with Bafarawa to part ways for his reelection against Wamakko who was grooming Aliyu Sokoto to contest the state governorship on the APC platform.
Wamakko was not intimidated by the odds that kept occupying the centre stage of politics in the caliphate from all directions.
Tambuwal eventually emerged victorious as governor following a record-making kin but fierce contest that narrowly favoured the former Speaker of HoRs whose 342 votes separated him from his arc contender, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto of the APC.
Although, hopes were high in the camp of the APC that they would claim back their mandate in the Courts which incidentally did not turn out in their favour.
However, the Wamakko-led APC in the state did not leave anything to chance nor rest their ores but kept the wave alive and with determination to reclaim its dream mandate.
For Wamakko, going back to the drawing board was of the essence and imminent to prove his capacity and sprawling role as a leader and political power broker in the state.
No sooner than the whistle sounded to kick start the 2023 political activities, both sides of the political divides in the caliphate took turns for a fresh contest for the first seat in the state.
Before then, the APC wing had vowed not to be beaten twice in a series. It suffered a narrow defeat in 2019 when the joint ticket of Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto and Farouk Malami Yabo got dwarfed and come 2023, this time around, is a renewed but very tight race that further reduced the big wigs behind Wamakko.
The Yusuf Suleimans, Hon. Balarabe Salames, Ambassador Farouk Malami Yabos along other notable loyalists to Wamakko defected to join forces with Tambuwal, Bafarawa, and others to retain the state governorship seat in the state.
Their calculations were timely and resolute to bury the political fortunes and strength of Wamakko and his core loyalists who saw the reinforcement on the side of the opposition PDP as a mere political joke that carried no weight.
Tambuwal was seemingly relaxed and hopeful that PDP made a big catch that would swing victory to its side even as pointers indicated that there was a cold war between himself and another political strength in Ummaru Kwabo A. who had been a recognised political mentor of his deputy, Hon. Muhammad Mannir Dan Iya.
Kwabo had been convinced to believe that Dan Iya whom he groomed over the years would be the anointed and standard bearer of the main opposition party in the state who would succeed Tambuwal.
Drawing nearer to the party primaries, rumour began to filter that Tambuwal including top echelons in the traditional setting in the caliphate were working round the clock for another option against Dan Iya.
Not long after the primaries were about to be conducted when strong indications emerged that the then Secretary to the State Government, Saidu Umar Malam Ubandoma was picked to fly the party’s ticket through consensus.
The picking of Ubandoma and Sagir Bafarawa as running mate did not, however, go down well with the mammoth of supporters and followers of Dan Iya.
The development took a turn to massively crack the political walls of the party in the state with supporters leading the gale of defection in progressive count as campaigns approached.
Slow and steadily, watching the development, Kwabo, mentor of Dan Iya, dramatically remained silent and passive on party activities while weighing options on the next line of action reports say.
Subsequently, Kwabo defected from the party even as his godson, Dan Iya refused to follow suit, a storm that also influenced the loyalty of concerned supporters of the latter to prevail on him to also defect along with his mentor.
Dan Iya was later appeased and offered the ticket to contest the Sokoto North Senatorial District against Wamakko.
Tambuwal’s calculations braced by the likes of Bafarawa, Suleiman, Yabo, Salame and Mukhtari Shagari formed the dream political team to end the dream Wamakko and his camp were pursuing.
However, Umaru Kwabo and his followers eventually left for the APC to further weaken the strength of PDP which subsequently lost the election to APC with landslide margin that ushered in Dr Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, political godson of Wamakko in a joint ticket with Muhammad Idris Gobir as deputy even as the court’s verdict failed to oil the hope of PDP.
No doubt that 17 years of Senator Wamakko’s sprawling political popularity has proven his capacity as an unbeaten contender and leader to rally around in the politics of Sokoto State amidst opposition political forces. This stands him out and high among equals not only in Sokoto state but the north.
