Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko is one political eye sore to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), not only in Sokoto state, but in the country. The former Governor is still of the belief that, come 2019, APC will surpass it’s 2015 landmark victory in the state and country, a remark that ADO HASSAN examines.
THE political stage has started gathering clouds from all ranks and political divides, with diverse opinions and predictions as to what the 2019 polls hold.
Interestingly, gladiators have begun to shape the path ahead of time, with Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko tilting words, suggesting victory for the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), against any opposition party.
Wamakko dwelt on his sense of political aggressiveness, resilience and popularity occasioned by his familiarity with troubled political waters to pass on his message.
As it were, northwest political diary of recent times cannot be said to be complete without mentioning the likes of Senators Aliyu Wamakko and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who played the arrow head for the ruling APC, to consolidate its journey to victory in the zone and Nigeria.
The duo worked hard through thick and thin for the rains of votes in the region that roared the sitting President Muhammadu Buhari to victory.
By conviction, the former and immediate past Sokoto state Governor may have made a personal, but a critical political analogy to arrive at the yet to be tested conclusion, braced by his optimism.
Wamakko’s remark seem to confirm a phenomenon that tends to define the political direction and curry the resilience of like minds.
He is the one Senator from the Seat of the Caliphate who chooses not to distance himself from his constituents who have lost count of the number of times they see him when he visits Sokoto.
The spirit of been a good and listening leader has continued to stand him out among equals in Sokoto. It has endeared him to large followers.
His dispassionate breaking of silence and remark further signaled the fact that, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), is still battling its way out of the clog of internal crisis that cannot withstand the ruling APC, both in the state and the centre.
However,not only in Sokoto where it is yet to wake up from slumber and nightmare of 2015 defeat, it is evident that PDP is fast loosing grip of its members as a result of the rapid defections that have characterised it’s house, with big wigs fast joining the APC fold.
Besides, the first term Senator practically said nothing will be left to chance at ensuring APC’s victory, a permutation that has left more questions than answers from pundits.
His words:”In sha Allahu, come 2019, the opposition parties will score only few votes, even if there will be any opposition party by then.
” Sokoto State will produce more votes in 2019, more than it did in 2015, because in 2015, some opposition parties made a little impact, but not would remain by 2019, God willing.
” We will produce more than the one million votes we produced in 2019, as the state remains a stronghold of the APC.”
The senate Committee Chairman on Basic and Secondary Education did not mince words, rather restated that people of Sokoto state and Nigerians still repose tremendous confidence in the APC, its elected and appointed officials.
Far from selling political dummy nor making mockery of time, Wamakko still holds the ace in Sokoto state politics to deepen APC’s
dream to fruition.
The ever-dexterous NASS member is attested to still bask in the euphoria of his tight structures at the grassroots, a foundation he built to continually consolidate his political quest.
Of recent, to be precise, last week, a mammoth crowd of supporters and followers in their thousands escorted the legislator on arrival at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto from Abuja to his Gawon Nama residence in Sokoto.
Nonetheless, the former Governor is still a key political player in the Seat of thw Caliphate as ever, especially for his accessibility by all classes of people.
This, observers say has kept his close passion and political landmark fast sprawling across the state.
Recently, the Senator described by some as ‘ a utility politician’ who knows the game to the roots,’: further sent gitters to the veins of detractors who are bent to cause rift between him and his successor, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
In few words, Wamakko neutralised the perceived rift by agents of hate, saying” Myself ‘Alu’and Tambuwal are the same in pursuit of responsive vision and mission for the state. ”
Be it from his political fold or opposition, the Senator has shamed detractors and doubting Thomases in the state against their wild political machinations.
” Nothing is between us unless mutual respect and the love for one another, as well as the love for our dear state and Nigeria, in general.
” The respect my younger brother, the Governor, is according me is unparalleled.
” I am truly and sincerely very grateful to him for this and i am highly cherishing his enviable gestures.”
Though, he did not hesitate to caution those who are ceaselessly bent on sowing seeds of discord between them while stating: ” We have the same vision and mission and only the Almighty God knows what is between us,” the former Governor of the state, averred.
With undoubtful team spirit and abilities to mobilise a mammoth crowd, Wamakko has over time carved a niche for himself in many spheres of his political activities.
Significantly, the former Governor had in the last two years secured freedom for prisons inmates, with large sums of money, while each beneficiary was given mobey to begin something meaningful in their lives as they rejoined the society.
Besides, Wamakko had personally endorsed and supported youths empowerment,as well as skills acquisition programmes with institutions such as the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC), among others.He also provided tools and take-off capital, in addition to offering sponsorship to Sokoto indigenes for Medical, Information, Communication and Technology, as well as Administrati in Pakistan, Sudan, Ghana, Madinah, Niger republic, among others.
Not just that, the Sokoto Central District Senator has kept fate with his culture of visiting households and students, particularly those under his personal sponsorship, to assess their progress as well boost their morale.
Very recently, he was in Pakistan to interact with and monitor students under his sponsorship undergoing various graduate and post graduate degree programmes.
Wamakko’s gesture has not neglected those at home, as he also sent a number of students of Sokoto origin for studies at Dialogue Computer Institute, Kaduna, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Sokoto State University, among others.
The facts sheet of Senator Wamakko’s political strength has not left anything or person in doubt of his popularity as a man of the people, with listening ears, whose Gawon Nama Sokoto residence, day and night, has continued to attract all classes of people, even if he is away.
The gathering of crowd at the senator’s residence is the basic and most attractive characteristics that differentiate his simplicity and humble nature from others, analysts observe.
Analysis from various quarters have also spotted his attitude of talking less and doing more to humanity puts him tops thus; likened to that of a large hearted political and crowd mobiliser, which cannot be taken away from the former governor in quick succession,especially in the Seat of the Caliphate he governed for eight years.
If Wamakko’s fearless words of optimism are anything to go by, the main opposition party(PDP) and others would have been challenged to brace up ahead of 2019.
