Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal is working assiduously to clinch the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the convention. But, can he get the ticket? Here are his chances at the primary
Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, is eyeing the presidency in 2023.
His attention has moved from local to national politics, the ground he has been testing since the 2019 polls. Tambuwal got his second term with narrow “342” votes to beat the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto after a Supreme Court verdict.
However, there are indications that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives is eying the presidential ticket of his party, People Democratic Party (PDP) amid the challenge of picking a successor in the alleged APC dominated Sokoto State.
Besides, his fellow kinsman, former Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, who also participated during the PDP last presidential primaries, has remained silent over his ambition for 2023 but may not be ruled out of the contest.
Although, Tambuwal is being accused by people in the state for non-performance even as he has embarked on a number of human-oriented projects in the state that seem to justify his competence to lead the country.
From all indications, Tambuwal may not have a second option other than getting presidential ticket of his party considering his performance at the party’s primaries ahead of 2019 polls where he came second to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar whose political domination in the north is still fresh and strong.
But, a source close to Tambuwal who spoke in confidence said the governor has not done enough to deserve a presidential ticket of the party.
“He has failed the expectations of our people and the state.
Electorates are not satisfied with his style of leadership of abandoning people for his personal ambition.
“Let me tell you, Tambuwal has lost the support of many party members in Sokoto state. Politics is local and when you miss it, you have no place in the future for the game.
“He has no formidable political structure in the state that can sell his manifesto with fewer efforts”, according to the source.
Perhaps, the governor may be secretly working to be in the Senate, if his dream for the presidential ticket fails to yield results.
Though, subject to the outcome of the primaries, the Sokoto West Senatorial District may also be a tough battle for him to win with the popularity of Senator Abubakar Shehu Tambuwal of the APC who lost narrowly in the court to Senator Abdullahi Danbaba Dambuwa of PDP who also may be seeking reelection or vie for governorship of the state.
Coming from the North, a region that is politically strong in awareness, Tambuwal may find it a big task to cross the hurdles of opponents who also are eying the party’s ticket like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Senator Bala Muhammed among others.
Also, the crisis rocking the opposition party will have great impact on the party’s political processes especially its convention, primaries and elections. Hitherto, it is unclear where the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket will tilt to.
Although emerging development does not suggest the zoning arrangement may favour the North region, yet, if the Sokoto governor who is 56, eventually emerges, he has advantage over others would be aspirants from the North. Some sources hinted that, the governor may also use his position as chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum to launder himself.
But, the seemingly advantage pedestal may however, be his undoing as under his watch, the PDP has lost three governors including Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River ) and Muhammadu Bello Matawalle of Zamfara states defected to the opposition APC despite efforts to stop the trio.
Tambuwal’s fraternity with sections of the country at different party, individual and executive fora may have connected him politically to further his ambition.
Observations have also shown that the usual political closeness between the Sokoto governor and Nyesom Wike of Rivers state who was at the fore front championing his course towards last primaries has reduced and may affect his dream in the Southsouth.
Yet, the former Speaker will have to do a lot of workings to get his arts well in the Northwest where he is allegedly on separate page with former governor Kwankwaso who is likely to contest the party’s ticket alongside with him.
The 10th Speaker of the House of Representatives was born on January 10, 1966, in Tambuwal Village in Sokoto State to Waziri Tambuwal. He attended Tambuwal Primary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto State, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1979; and Government Teachers’ College, Dogon-Daji, where he obtained the Teachers Grade 11 Certificate in 1984. He then proceeded to Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, where he studied Law, graduating with an LLB (Hons) degree in 1991. He completed his one-year compulsory legal studies at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, obtained his BL and was called to the Bar in 1992 Tambuwal started learning the legislative ropes from 1999 to 2000, while working as Personal Assistant on Legislative Affairs to Senator Abdullahi Wali, the then Senate Leader.
In 2003, he decided to run for a legislative seat as representative of the Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency. He was elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
Few months to the 2007 general elections, he defected to the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), alongside the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa. But, when the DPP denied return tickets to former ANPP legislators, Tambuwal swung back to the ANPP, where he eventually succeeded in picking up a ticket for the election.
But, then again, when the ANPP governorship candidate for Sokoto State in the 2007 election, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko dumped the party for the PDP, Tambuwal also followed suit.
Tambuwal held several offices in the House. In 2005, he became the Minority Leader of the House until he defected to the PDP. Upon his re-election to the House in 2007, he was also elected the Deputy Chief Whip.
At various times, Tambuwal was a member of several committees including the House Committees on Rules & Business, Communications, Judiciary, Inter-Parliamentary and Water Resources. He was also a member of the House Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review.
No comments:
Post a Comment