Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria address themselves as distinguished citizens because being a senator of the most exalted legislative body is not a mean achievement. But how well do they advocate the interests of their constituents, or they are satisfied answering the title of “Distinguished Senator” without the responsibilities of the office? In a nutshell, the title seems to mean different things for some of them. It is important to stress that Nigeria has been blessed with great senators, those with larger-than-life personalities displayed through eloquent articulation on issues and when they speak the Senate and the public gallery is held spellbound.
We have also seen some not-too-impressive senators because elections being an emotional issue. In that league is Senator Ibrahim Lamido who represents Sokoto State East Senatorial District. The story of how Senator Ibrahim Lamido defeated Senator Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir who was the Senate Majority Leader in the 9th Senate is a confirmation that, in elections, the best doesn’t always win. That is the way he appears in the eyes of most politicians in Sokoto State, including those who ensured his victory in the 2023 elections.
For daring to plan a factionalization of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State, which is seriously frowned at by the APC Constitution, even though he lacks the capacity to create any crisis in the party, except on the pages of newspapers, his second term ambition seems to have been sealed by his misguided war. Furthermore, if the state chapter so decides, he can still be disciplined.
Clearly, Senator Ibrahim Lamido, with his various press releases, had violated Article 21 (a), (iii) and (iv) of the Constitution of All Progressives Congress, 2014, as amended. Specifically, Article 21 (a) prescribes that “Offences against the Party shall include the following: i. A breach of any provision of this Constitution. ii. Anti-Party activities or any conduct, which is likely to embarrass or have adverse effect on the party or bring the party into hatred, contempt, ridicule or disrepute. iii. Disobedience or negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the Party and factionalization”
Senator Lamido, who chairs the Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases, has done nothing remarkable that, at the end of his tenure, he would be remembered for either in the Senate or by his constituents in Sokoto State East.
In the Upper legislative chamber, Senator Lamido has certainly not made any definitive impact, although he has a very good platform to do so. Were he a go-getter, the committee under his chairmanship and the agencies under his committee’s oversight, affords him the golden opportunity to shine on the national stage, if only he cares about the frequent outbreaks of cholera, Lassa fever and other contagious diseases, or if he had chosen to promote the provision of healthcare facilities at the grassroots.
It was indeed laughable when Senator Ibrahim Lamido and his fellow travellers give a false impression that he was embroiled in a war of supremacy with his former governor, mentor, political godfather and fellow Senator, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. The bone of contention is said to be about who controls the APC party structures in Sokoto State. A joke taken too far!
The truth is that the party is in the safe hands of its elected officials and whatever problem that Senator Lamido has is with the party and not Senator Wamakko who has remained a father to all the tendencies in the party. Senator Ibrahim Lamido is not and can never be on the same political footing. Senator Lamido has obviously overrated his political weight in Sokoto State and allowed some Abuja renegades from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to infiltrate APC. He ought to know from the messages by the teeming supporters of the party, that all his noise in the media will not have any impact on the political fortunes of the party in the state. The party remains the undisputed heavyweight champions with the death of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. That one thousand Ibrahim Lamidos of this world cannot shake the Iroko tree.
Senator Ibrahim Lamido, unlike Aminu Tambuwal, played his hands early. To emphasise the point, let it be known to everyone who cares to listen, that the Sadiq Achida-led APC is on ground and has the unshakable confidence of the party elders and Governor Aliyu Ahmad Sokoto, the performing Chief Executive of the state. Commendably, there is no friction between the two well-groomed political leaders; Wamakko and the governor. Instead, what you see playing out in their midst is a fruitful synergy, mutual respect, and productive cooperation, all of which is working to the utmost benefit of the good people of Sokoto State. This is quite unlike what obtains in some other states across the country, where political fathers and their godsons are entangled in violent struggle for dominance, which militates against good governance and quality service delivery to the people.
With the seamless cooperation between Aliyu Wamakko and Governor Ahmad Aliyu, and the solid support of all party structures, it ought to be obvious to Senator Ibrahim Lamido and his Abuja enablers, that there is absolutely no leadership vacuum, and no friction, in the Sokoto State APC chapter. The state APC chairman, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida, made this very clear when he told inquisitive journalists that: «The APC is intact in Sokoto state. We don›t have any factions, and we will not tolerate any group trying to create one.”
The same position the APC North-West Alliance for Good Governance (NWAGG), in its swift reaction to the storm in a teacup. In a press briefing, the secretary of the group, Comrade Auwal Shuaibu, reaffirmed what most people already know, that «the leadership of the APC in Sokoto State is safely in the hands of Acida” while dismissing the actions of the Ibrahim Lamido-led «needless distraction”. Comrade Auwal added: “For some over-ambitious elements to come from nowhere and try to usurp the leadership structure is the height of deceit.”
They equally tried, but woefully failed, to sow the seed of suspicion and distrust among the appointees of the Ahmad Aliyu administration, by claiming that many commissioners and top players in the administration are secretly supporting the ‘dissonance.’ The camp of the governor is alert to detect and deal with any significant double agent who tries to sabotage the people-oriented 9-point agenda of the administration. You are forced to laugh out loud when their bland and tactless comedy was packaged and presented to the public as a “supremacy battle between Wamakko and Lamido”. Real political battles are not fought and won in the air, nor with propaganda and misinformation. You need to have the people on your side, and the people can only stand with you if you have done enough to earn their trust.
This is where Magatakarda Wamakko and Governor Aliyu Ahmad hold the edge against their opponents. Ongoing physical projects, social reforms and economic stimulus in Sokoto state are enough evidence to convince honest people that the incumbent political leaders are determined to improve their living conditions.
Indeed, Governor Aliyu Ahmad Sokoto has worked hard in the past 20 months to redefine governance, especially in a state where the immediate past administration of Aminu Tambuwal failed woefully to make the people feel the impact of leadership. It is to the credit of Governor Aliyu Ahmad that salaries and pensions are being paid on time, after clearing eight years of unpaid pension and gratuity of over N14 billion, left behind by the derelict Tambuwal who chose to govern the state from his cozy residence in Abuja so he would not feel the pains of the people he claimed to govern.
It is also to the credit of the new government that roads are being built across the three senatorial districts, and connecting nearly all the 23 local government areas of the state. Of particular interest to this observer are the completion of Alhassan-Fagga-Bakaya road at the cost of N2 billion, as well as the Prison-Yagawal-Na Baguda road, awarded at the cost of N2.6 billion in Tambuwal local government areas. This was a project totally neglected by the immediate past governor despite the fact that Tambuwal Local Government is his native area council.
- Abubakar Dan Bala, writes from Sokoto
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