By Abubakar Danmallam
“When you see a teeth falling from the mouth of a person by itself, it signifies decay” – Anonymous
“No Longer at Ease, The Centre Cannot Hold” – Chinua Achebe
“The biggest mistake Sokoto people will make in their existence is to allow PDP to continue in 2023. Trust me, no governor in Sokoto’s entire history has treated Sokoto people with so much disregard like Tambuwal” – Anonymous
It is glaringly evident that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in Sokoto state, has been limping on one leg, unknown to many that all is not well. It is also a confirmation that the PDP is now living on borrowed time so much that those hanging on the balance can no longer wait for 2023. Indeed, The ease is no longer there because the centre can no longer hold.
Over time, it has been observed by scores of Sokoto citizen as well as students of politics that there is misrule in the government of Tambuwal; there is lack of transparency in the government’s financial dealings; there is no accountability and care for the people is non existent. Campaign promises no longer matter and Tambuwal has depleted the hopes hitherto built in the minds of the people for good governance. whatever norm and does not care what the people of the state have been put into in terms of lack basic needs like portable water, etc.
Defection
It is normal, especially in Nigerian politics for politicians to defect from one party to another. It is normal for politicians to give any reason for their defections. What is not normal is for serving executive council members of state or local elected officials of government to resign from ruling parties. It is not normal because strong reasons, either known or hidden, MUST be responsible for such resignation. I will talk more about this later.
On Saturday, July 30th, a staunch grass-root politician in his own right, who is also the council chairman of Tangaza local government, Isa Salihu Kalenjeni dumped the PDP along with six councillors of the party to the APC and received by the open and waiting hands of the leader of the party in the state, a former governor and serving senator, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, assisted by APC’s governorship candidate, Ahmed Aliyu.
The abracadabra in the PDP primary that took place in Tangaza local government made Kalenjeni, a three-term federal lawmaker to dump the PDP and join forces with Wamakko to wrestle power from the PDP, which he described as filled with that the Yoruba man calls “Ojoro”.
Why does Moyi’s defection matter?
For a serving commissioner like Moyi, who in until his resignation held the position of Career Services and Security as a Commissioner to defect from the ruling party and ultimately resign from Sokoto government cabinet, implies misrule, misgovernance and signs of many other factors.
In the first place, just like holding ministries of finance and local government, the trust and confidence of a personality must not be in doubt for a governor to entrust career services and security in the hands of that personality. It also infers that that personality stands out. It implies that the trust by a governor on such person is as a result of his qualities.
What then could have made Moyi to defect from the PDP where he holds a position to the APC? Many things of course.
First, the APC to which many politicians in Sokoto are rushing, is led by a listening leader in the person of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. He is open-minded; has regard for human person; respects all and sundry; has piety for the needy; does not manipulate and is a national figure whose personality presently cuts across party lines. Additionally, the APC is well-positioned to win the 2023 general elections in the state and has won the hearts of the people in that regard.
Moyi is no longer comfortable to work in a government which governor disallows commissioners to see him, save whom he chooses. He is no longer ready to work with a governor who does not take advise from his commissioners, save what his selfish instincts predict for him.
More defections on the way
As it is, there are many commissioners who are disgruntled by the way Tambuwal is misruling the state. Many ministries for many months have malfunctioned with the heads of the ministries having to fund their operations from their pockets. For example, all ministries at Shehu Kangiwa Secretariat have been operating without electricity for close to a year now. Government documents are now taken to public computer business centres to photocopy, print or even type. The expenses are born by these commissioners.
Like Tsunami, in a few weeks, the gale of defection will continue and there is no stopping it.
Danmallam writes from Helele area, Sokoto
