By Bartholomew Maduekwe

Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa, a two time Commissioner in Kebbi State is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the Northwest and was a facilitator at the National Political Reform Conference of 2005. Yelwa in this interview examines the prospects of the PDP in this weekend’s election and affirms that the party is on the right course to victory. Excerpts:

How do you see the chances of your party in this weekend’s gubernatorial election?
The chances of the PDP in the forthcoming Sokoto election are bright because Sokoto is a PDP state. You remember that the PDP in Sokoto and Kebbi constitute an amalgamation of the old PDP and then the governing ANPP and so there is really no other party in Sokoto to threaten in any significant manner our electoral prospects.

At a personal level, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko has endeared himself to the people of Sokoto State throughout his tenure because of his composure, kindness, tenacity as a leader and his capacity to reconcile people of different persuasions. He has emerged as a leader not onlyin the politics of Sokoto State but to a large extent for that part of the North West. He is a like a leader to the rest of the States. So, I have no iota of doubt that come 18th of February,  God willing,  he will emerge victorious.

...Alhaji Yelwa

To what extent do you think that Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa could help the ANPP in this election seeing that he is not distracted by any presidential campaign?

We in the PDP are not really worried with that because anybody who understands the reality on the ground will know that he doesn’t have the capacity any longer to threaten the existing government. Don’t forget, he lost even while he was a serving governor and what is left of the ANPP he has returned to and the DPP he has created are so inconsequential politically for them to pose any threat to such a force that Wamakko represents.

There appears to be a convergence of opinion in the politics of Sokoto today that he(Wamakko) deserves another chance and nothing should be done to upset the cart and that is why all the political leaders are solidly behind him.

But the PDP in the state appears divided going into the election?
Yes, and like any political observer will tell you, even in the South West as much as in the East, PDP has always been its own enemy, there is no way you can satisfy everybody. But the PDP unlike other parties is a party that is owned by the people not by one political master. It has always been easier to reconcile.

Look at what happened in Adamawa recently, you remember the president was there and there are political leaders who were not too much in good terms with the governor but because of the appearance of Mr. President and the determination of political leaders to win the state, the election has been won.

But that is not even the case in Sokoto, people aired their opinion, everybody in PDP to my understanding and knowledge is working towards a victory because a victory for Wamakko is not only a victory for him only as a person.
It is for the PDP to continue to administer the state and this is what every PDP member would want to see achieved because Sokoto is essentially a PDP state

What has been done to resolve the differences among the members?
Politics is a process of negotiation, what I can tell you for sure is that every political leader in PDP knows and believe that the PDP must return to power in Sokoto State. There is always opportunity to reconcile further in PDP and everybody who knows the Governor will tell you he is a man who has done so much to reconcile and the things that were said before the primaries were said in the process of influencing political opinion.

They don’t represent facts on the ground but people in Sokoto see Wamakko as a grassroots man and in our part of the country that is essential. How true is it that Wamakko has enemies at the national level of the party?The party at the national level is solid, they are totally in support. You saw the list of those leading the campaign. The President, the Vice President, the national leadership of the party and others were in Sokoto for the commencement of the campaign.