Re: Sokoto’s demystification of godfathers

The article entitled, “Sokoto’s demystification of godfathers” by Ayuba Ahmad published in the Daily Trust of May 18, 2019 attracted me with the hope that it could be worthwhile. Alas! On reaching the final full stop, it turned out to be the most boring, unintelligible, unfocused and unimpressive attempt at an academic exercise. I decided […]

The article entitled, “Sokoto’s demystification of godfathers” by Ayuba Ahmad published in the Daily Trust of May 18, 2019 attracted me with the hope that it could be worthwhile. Alas! On reaching the final full stop, it turned out to be the most boring, unintelligible, unfocused and unimpressive attempt at an academic exercise.

I decided to go through it one more time just to be sure I did not miss out on something important that the writer wanted to pass across; it just did not make sense beyond a tint of a frail attempt at promoting a certain Sokoto politician and slandering all the others.

My initial mindset was to consign the stuff like any other rubbish to the trash bin, but felt it would perhaps be more fun to make a saner representation of the political currents that shaped the March 2019 governorship election in Sokoto state.

For the record, and for the sake of fairness, available history records show that Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and not Aminu Tambuwal was the one that set the foundation and actually saw to the ultimate triumph of popular politics over godfatherism.

Perhaps the writer has forgotten or might not have known the events that culminated in the assumption of Wamakko to the Sokoto governorship just twelve years ago.

As deputy to the then Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, Wamakko became so estranged by a convergence of powers in the state that he was forced to sacrifice his deputy position and left the dictatorial regime of Bafarawa and took charge of the then ruling All Nigeria People’s Party.

He tested his popularity against the existing godfather might in an epic battle at the end of which popular will triumphed over an entrenched politics of patronage to become the first and so far the only surviving Sokoto politician to have dared the godfather system and overtook it.

Ayuba’s academic misadventure of trying to pull the wool over our eyes in regards to Wamakko’s awesome powers in Sokoto politics is dead on arrival.

The APC captured the entire Sokoto state during the presidential and National Assembly elections and political history would commend Wamakko for that. The margin between the APC and the PDP in the presidential election was almost 170, 000 while the same APC clinched the 3 senatorial seats. Moreover, the APC also captured 9 out of the 11 House of Reps seats while in the State Assembly seats APC got 16 out of 30 thereby having the majority. With the above victories how could one deny oneself with the truth and lie that Wamakko has failed woefully when records have shown that the PDP gubernatorial “victory” which is being contested against in court was a charade?

The people of Sokoto voted massively for APC in all elections including the governorship contest and since the matter is still in court, the judiciary would decide and the stolen mandate would return to its original abode. Wamakko is still a political factor not only in Sokoto but at the national level.

Not every victory is worth celebrating especially with just 342 votes. This, the judiciary would make it clear to you in due course.

Nasir Abdulkadir Chikaji, Kaduna.