By Abdallah el-Kurebe

The entrance of Senator Abubakar Umar Gada and much recently, of the former Sports Minister, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman into the race for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship ticket of Sokoto state, has altered the permutation that the incumbent Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko was a shoo-in for the ticket.

Besides relying on petitions by the Kebbi and Zamfara branches of the PDP that Wamakko played anti-party activities by supporting the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC in Kebbi and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP in Zamfara states, respectively, Gada has insisted further that Wamakko is not a good performer and that Sokoto needs a change of ticket if PDP is to win the March 2012 election.

Remarkably, all three candidates in the contest have also been trying to portray themselves as having received the blessing of the presidency for the contest.

Ahead of the Sokoto PDP primaries Governors in nearby states have sought to buffer their colleague with at least two, Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger and Sule Lamido of Jigawa openly rallying round him.

Aliyu who is also the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum during his visit urged Wamakko not to be afraid of anything in his pursuit for a second term in office.

Gov Wammako

“You shouldn’t be afraid of any power since Wamakko depends on Allah. We cannot stop anybody from aspiring what he intends to aspire to but I know Wamakko has Allah on his side,” Aliyu was quoted to have told Wamakko while introducing the northern governors present at the Arewa Conference on Peace and Unity last week.

That remark was seen by many as a response to the rumours that the presidency had plans to foist what was being described as the Sylva treatment on Wamakko allegedly on account of the Governor’s inability to deliver Sokoto delegates to President Jonathan during the PDP presidential primaries.

Governor Lamido on his part paid a solidarity visit to Wamakko during which he assured his host that President Jonathan, the national leadership of the party and its Governors were supportive of Wamakko.

He said the support was “informed by the good job Wamakko has been doing for his people to improve their welfare.”

Lamido also told newsmen that he was in Sokoto at the instance of the President and the leadership of the party to deliver their goodwill messages to Wamakko in appreciation and recognition of his laudable achievements, particularly in the area of peace, unity, as well as his developmental programmes for the state.

“PDP as a family is solidly behind Governor Wamakko and has decided that he should continue the good job he has been executing for his people, especially the maintenance of peace and unity in Sokoto State, which has shown so much progress in the last few years.

Any other party member interested in contesting against Wamakko is free to do so, but let it be clear that he has been anointed,” Lamido said.

Yusuf Suleiman

However, a few days after in what seemed to be a reaction to Lamido’s claims that he visited at the instance of Mr. President and the national headquarters of the PDP, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmad Gulak said that President Jonathan would not interfere with the PDP governorship primaries.

In specific terms, Gulak told reporters in Abuja that none of the three aspirants, Governor Wamakko, Suleiman and Gada, enjoys the support of President Jonathan.

“No one is President Goodluck Jonathan’s candidate; unless a candidate emerges through free and fair primaries, he cannot enjoy the support of Mr. President. It is after a candidate emerges that he can enjoy the president’s support. As of now everybody is an aspirant, Wamakko inclusive, we have Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, who just left office as Sports Minister, we have Senator Abubakar Gada all of them are aspirants,” Gulak had said.

To many analysts, Mr. President’s position implies that no one should claim to be the ‘anointed’ aspirant of the Presidency.

Following the Presidency’s position, pundits see a situation where neither the Governors nor the presidency would help Wamakko out but his popularity.

“Absolutely! Wamakko’s political structure is undaunted. If his popularity could win the support of members of the National Assembly; all members of the Sokoto state House of Assembly; all local government council chairmen; all party officials and all youth organizations, we say that there should be a free and fair primaries where true popularity would be at play.

It was Wamakko’s popularity that won for the PDP, all elective seats from the Senate to the House of Assembly elections; from the State House of Assembly election to the local council elections,” Special Adviser to Wamakko on ICT, Alhaji Nasiru Zarumai said.