2023: Uncertainty clouds Sokoto senate races

However, both parties and the players hoping to aspire for the seats have hitherto, been silent even as speculations are widening within the two political folds. In the APC, there are indications that the party may allow incumbent senators to return for another term. If that turns out to be the truth, there will be no challengers to the Senators at the party’s primary elections.

The major sign from the PDP that the party will be contesting the seat is the mass resignation of cabinet members for no other reason other than to contest elections. Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, who oversees the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Secretary to the State Government, Mallam Saidu Umar, led others to resign their positions to seek elective offices in the 2023 general elections.

A statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Tambuwal on Media and Publicity, Muhammad Bello, said 10 commissioners also resigned from the state cabinet to pursue their political ambitions. According to the statement, the appointees are the Commissioners for Finance, Environment, Youths and Sports and Lands and Housing, Abdussamad Dasuki, Sagir Bafarawa, Bashir Gorau and Aminu Bala respectively.

Others are: Commissioners for Commerce, Works, Water Resources, Solid Minerals, Religious Affairs and Careers and Security, Bashir Gidado, Salihu Maidaji, Shuaibu Gwanda-Gobir, Abubakar Maikudi and Abdullahi Maigwandu and Retired Col. Garba Moyi respectively. The statement added that the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mukhtar Magori, also resigned his appointment to participate in the poll.

Also being linked with the race for the senate seat of the zone on the platform of the PDP is Retired Col. Garba Moyi, who until his retirement, served as Commissioner for Security and Career Matters in the state. Party sources say while waiting for the nod of the governor, the retired army officer have been consulting across the zone with the sole aim of picking the PDP senatorial ticket.

In the APC, where there has been fear that the party may present more than one candidates for the elective seat in the state, respite came when the Appeal Court in Abuja on recently struck out an appeal filed by the Senator Abubakar Gada-led faction of the party in Sokoto State for lack of territorial jurisdiction. There has been an ongoing battle for the soul of Sokoto APC between the Senators Aliyu Wamakko and Abubakar Gada factions.

An FCT High Court had earlier declined an application by a faction of the APC in Sokoto State loyal to a former governor of the state, Aliyu Wamakko, to set aside its earlier judgement over the disputed congresses in the state. The Wamakko group however appealed the FCT High Court judgement. The appeal was brought by the party’s state chairman, Isa Sadiq Acida.

Earlier, Acida had asked a High Court in Sokoto to restrain APC from recognising Mainasara Abubakar Sani and others as officers and delegates of the ward, LG and state congresses of the party which were held on October 13, September 14 and October 16, 2021 respectively. Delivering ruling on the appeal by the Gada’s group, the member panel of Justices, H.S Tsammani, B.A. Georgewill and D.S Senchi unanimously submitted that the FCT High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction and struck out the appeal.

With the judgement, the Wamako group is in firm control of the party in the state and can without fear, nominate candidates for positions in the 2023 general election. The Nation also learnt that as part of efforts to ensure the party is successful in the next general elections in the state, efforts are currently on to reconcile aggrieved party members to the mainstream leadership before the elections.

Sokoto Central

Former Governor Aliyu Wamakko, with an unprecedented track record of controlling large followership in his zone and even beyond across the state, is most likely to pick the APC senate ticket for the Sokoto Central District. Pundits say he may have little or no problem in defeating whoever the PDP line up against him in the general election.

Wamakko’s, political formidability has over the years strengthened his capacity and that of his party. He enjoys large followership that has earned him huge popularity in the caliphate. Accordingly, his leadership of the party in the state is no doubt a booster to the aspirations of others in the APC.

It is however, being strongly suspected that Abdullahi Maigwandu might be the opposing aspirant that would fly the PDP flag in Sokoto Central against Wamakko. The former Commissioner for Religious Affairs was among the state executive council members that resigned last Wednesday in pursuit of their political ambitions.

Analysts are quick to give the race to Wammakko if Maigwandu turns out to be the PDP candidate. This is because the former Commissioner is one of the budding politicians he threw up politically when he ensured his emergence as Deputy Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly years back. “He cannot break the unbeatable record of our leader,” a source said.

Sokoto East

Amidst speculations that the incumbent Senator, Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir of the APC, is interested in the governorship ticket of the party, party sources say he would be allowed to return to the senate on the platform of the party if he fails to pick the guber ticket at the end of the day. His senatorial district is favoured by the zoning arrangement for the governorship in 2023.

Also rumoured to be interested in the Sokoto East senate ticket of his party is former assembly Speaker, Salihu Maidaji, who contested same position on the PDP platform but was defeated in 2019. He may give Gobir a good fight for the seat, should the former finally decide to seek re-election.

Sokoto West

With the defection of Senator Abdullahi Dan baba Dambuwa to the ruling APC at the last week, APC chieftains seeking to contest the senate election Sokoto West Senatorial Zone of the state may have to restrategise. Amidst claims thjat Senator Wamako had offered Dambuwa the APC senate ticket as part of the defection deal, party sources are saying the incumbent will not be challenged at the primary election.

This is just as it is being speculated that Governor Aminu Tambuwal may have designed a second option of running for Senate seat if he fails to pick his party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 elections. The Nation learnt that Tambuwal’s alternative plan, among other things, contributed to Dambuwa’s exit from the PDP.

Hon. Inu Bala Bodinga, the state’s Commissioner for Lands and Housing, who resigned recently, has been rumoured to be a stooge meant to hold the PDP ticket in trust for the governor until the outcome of the presidential primaries.

Political observers say the race in the district, should Tambuwal eventually contest the seat, will be the most explosive. While the governor will deploy all arsenals to ensure he wins the election, the incumbent Senator is a dogged political fighter with strong structures across the zone.

Both of them will exert immense experience, patronage and wits in the contest. With the PDP and APC almost at par in popularity across the state, it is almost impossible to predict who is likely to win the race in Sokoto West.