BETWEEN WAMAKKO AND POLITICAL GLADIATORSINl PDP Recently, Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto state has became a subject of attraction due to the controversial suspension slammed on him (but later reversed) by the current national leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. However with or without controversy, even for him to have twice ascended the hot throne of governorship, the Magatakarda is seen to have made his marks on the political sands of time in this part of the planet. Going a little back on memory lane, Wamakko’ s political antecedents go back to the days of former Sokoto state Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, when the former strategically clinched his portfolio as the deputy governor. There and then, Wamakko’ s political prowess germinated and waxed stronger – as his sterling qualities dazzled in office, he craftily and neatly succeeded in perfecting his rope as a consummate politician of the time. Soon, the Magatakarda’ s political limelight came to bloom and portrayed him as potential material for governorship in that all important state of Sokoto. Since then, the Sokoto people set the foundation of their covenant to vote their own as subsequent governor of the state. As history had it, when he later cross-carpeted to PDP and became its flag bearer in Sokoto, in his natural manner as the people’s favourite, Wamakko pulled along the majority followers who launched him to the zenith of power as governor elect in the state. Hence his prestige could not only be quantified in political terms, but also for his social and humanitarian influence both in the state and the entire geopolitical zone of the north-west. As a governor in two successive and glorious tenures, the volumes of his infrastructural and human development projects have paid off for the people’ s goodwill and expectation on him as a person who could deliver to expectation and to his oath. But it ought not to be forgotten that right at home, the Magatakarda must have his detractors, much as he had his admirers. Yet when recently Wamakko was announced suspended from the PDP ruling party, it struck many people with shock and unbelief as well as exposed the momentous blunder of punching the great party by those entrusted by Mr. President as preferred custodians, who would see the part through yet another victory in the subsequent dispensation. The action equally gave the PDP president, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur out as one will little knowledge of the great political influence of Wamakko’ s constituency under the historical Sokoto Caliphate. His duo titiles of “magatakarda” of Wamakko and “Sarkin Yakin Yamma” of Sokoto should teach someone never to underestimate the man – for Bamanga to undertake his rash action of suspending a man of this caliber, tantamount to digging a deadly grave for the party. According to keen observers, Bamanga’ s action, even though guided by some nefarious element from Sokoto state, it was nothing short of a miscalculation of pitching President Jonathan against the Sokoto’s great Usmaniyya Dynasty and by extension, an attempt to provoke the wrath and create anathema between the entire northern people against Jonathan’ s administration. This is for tight relationship, which made the Usmaniyya Dynasty almost the heart of the Muslim north. As it happened, it appeared that President Goodluck Jonathan needed a quick re-think to take appropriate action by curtailing the seeming excesses and clipping the wings of PDP leadership at the national level. This is even more necessary in view of the herculean task before the party of facing a stronger opposition in form of the merged parties under APC. Without doing that, there was no way PDP would be sure of steering its ship to yet another promised land of victory in the coming general elections. When recently some members of PDP’s national Working Committee (NWC) were dropped and replaced new ones, many people through Bamanga would have been the first to be fired. More so that reports indicated that majority of the caucus members voted for his deposition, in view of his clear ineptitude and lackluster in managing internal crisis of the party. Instead, Bamanga turns to promote the crisis through his myopic and unconstitutional approach of slamming suspension on prominent party members such as Wamakko and the Rivers state Governor Amaechi, at will. Recent happenings have clearly shown the immense popularity of Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko as an indispensable political figure in Sokoto and beyond. The antecedents also vindicated who is in control and who is in possession of the people’s mandate in Sokoto state. This was when mammoth crow went out to grant Wamakko a rousing solidarity welcome on his return from a journey abroad and during which his controversial suspension was flaunted. The influential speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was at the head of the crowd that gave Wamakko a homely welcome, whereby he also gave a hortative speech, re-emphasizing Sokoto people’ s solid and unflinching support for their governor and brushing aside the said suspension meted out on him, saying their forever turn wherever Wamakko turns and that they were not shaken in the least, by the suspension. While responding, Governor Aliyu also waved aside the suspension, saying it was baseless and made on sentimental grounds, as all necessary criteria were not followed to warrant that. He promised his people that he would purge ahead, no matter the amount of blackmail from “antagonist and mischief makers”, who were out to sub-due his efforts. This development was followed by another newspaper advertisement duly signed by the entire 29 members of the Sokoto state of Assembly, registering their dogged and unwavering support for Governor Wamakko, in his encounter with that controversial issue of his suspension, which caught many people unawares. In the message carrying list of names of the members headed by the speaker, Honourable Lawali M. Zayyanu from Gwadabawa north constituency, stated that they would leave no stone unturned in their support and in following the footstep of their political father and mentor, the Magatakarda of Wamakko. The whole implication here is that people’s support is tantamount to the number of votes they cast during elections. Had the suspension remained un-reversed, it would have caused the PDP a huge loss of mass supporters of Governor Wamakko, both in Sokoto and elsewhere in the country, who may (who knows?) cross over to other parties. As the newly formed political coalition of APC is waxing for strength and support, there is all likelihood for the party to win over Wamakko and his people, thereby weakening the PDP in this part of the country. However, when the PDP stakeholders realized the mistake in carrying out the suspension and was later withdrawn, those who wish the party well saw that as a welcome development and never too late to embark on the action. Ultimately, the central focus who was Aliyu Magatakarada has emerged as the winner at the end of the whole scenario. His rooted prowess and popularity had come to bear him out as the people’s governor, the man in control of the people – the true bearer of the people’s mandate. Alhaji Idris S. Gobir, is the Managing Director, Gobir Group of Companies,No. 3 Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kano-Nigeria. Phone Number: 080-32230146
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 21:27:05 +0000