Rumblings In Sokoto APC As Wamakko, Lamido Supremacy Battle Festers For the Sokoto State chapter of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), governing victory appears to be its major challenge. Against all odds, the party snatched victory from the then managing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, with former Governor Aminu Tambuwal of the PDP barely administering to clinch the Senate seat in his constituency.
It is worrisome that with the majority of the state and National Assembly seats and, importantly, the governorship in its kitty, the APC is embroiled in internal wrangling over its inability to administer an enormous success at the polls.
Despite the concerted efforts to hide the crisis, there is anger among party members and intra-party squabble in an administering party.
The quarrel has led to the emergence of two rival factions battling to assume an overpower of the party. While a faction is led by Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto North), the other is headed by Senator Ibrahim Lamido (Sokoto East).
The deny threatening the fabric of the APC has to do with the moves of some key members to wean the party off Wamakko’s perceived domineering influence. This is coming against the backdrop of widespread allegations of corruption.
Our correspondent reveals that allegations of corruption, poor governance and the demolition of public structures are among the reasons for the intra-party squabble. Most party members believe that these allegations levelled against Wammako, who now dominates the state’s governance levers, are giving the party a bad image.
Findings broadcasted that Senator Ibrahim Lamido, who is leading the quest for a modern impose in the APC and to whittle down Wammako’s influence, has continued to receive the back of some party stakeholders, including members of the National Assembly.
While Senator Wammakko, a former governor of the state who also served as deputy governor to former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, is widely regarded as the APC’s leader in Sokoto, Senator Lamido came to the limelight when he clinched the APC senatorial ticket in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.
Who is Senator Lamido? He is a cerebral politician and philanthropist of repute. His dexterity and political sagacity were instrumental to his clinching the Sokoto North East Senatorial District ticket during the APC primaries. He eventually prevailed in the election.
Many believed that Lamido, who has never undergone political tutelage under Wamakko, is a man of himself. He is perceivably reluctant to paying homage to Wamakko, the celebrated “godfather” of Sokoto politics.
Political watchers disclosed his action provided an opportunity for some disenchanted APC members who have had enough of Wammako’s alleged domineering influence. “These members have since objected round Lamido, and things have fallen apart,” a public affairs analyst, Abubakar Lawal Gwadabawa, said.
Instantly, Lamido became a “marked man” within the party. This became noticeable as he was ostracised and disaffected from the party’s affairs, activities and events. Things got to a teetotum when the Lamido’s faction threatened to devise a parallel party structure to contest what they perceived as Governor Aliyu and Wamakko’s lavish influence.
Sani Yakubu Gudu, a member representing the Gudu/Tangaza Federal Constituency loyal to the Lamido faction, insisted that their plan is to salvage the APC from total breakdown under Wammako’s leadership.
He said, “We’ve made efforts to lobby both politicians to edit their mistakes, but they have refused. We cannot stand by and allow them to stain our reputation. The people voted us, and we must uphold their interests at all costs.”
It is believed that the party split could be a dress rehearsal for the 2027 general elections, where it is feared that the struggle for the APC tickets will be fierce.
A close ally of Senator Lamido, Mannir Shettima, informed The Round Table Sunday that Wammako’s overbearing persuade and penchant for having everybody kowtow to his whims and caprices were the genesis of the current truce in the party.
Shettima said, “No one doubted the political relevance of Senator Wamakko, but he should allow others to breathe. What we unearthed in him was his domineering tendencies. He always called for others to take directives from him and do things his way, not minding the feelings of others.
“Wamakko’s private residence is now the party secretariat where the APC chairman dictates the affairs of the party. Since Senator Lamido rejected to announce his activities in Wamakko’s residence, he has been seen as an outcast who must be excommunicated from happenings within the party.
“I envisage the Wamakko camp is jittery of Senator Lamido’s towering political relevance in the state with his activities ranging from youth and women empowerment, diverse welfare interventions, up to local and foreign scholarships for students within his senatorial district.
“The maladministration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, a protege of Senator Wamakko, in the award of a contract to repair 25 boreholes at the cost of N1.2 billion, the unjust removal of traditional rulers over political allegations, and failing to address the issue of banditry in parts of the state are concerns to us.
“I can assure you that Senator Lamido is not alone on this recover mission. Traditional rulers, government officials and academics are involved in this project. Even serving commissioners, special advisers and political appointees in this administration have enlisted to restore democratic norms in the affairs of our party,” Shettima stated.
But it appears Shettima is right after all as only recently, a traditional ruler, the district head of Sabon Birni in Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad Bawa, resigned his appointment to join the Lamido team.
In a humility letter dated October 16, 2024, Bawa stated he resigned his position with consequence from October 16, 2024.
The letter which he personally signed states, “I was appointed district head of Sabon Birni on July 15, 2014 and today, October 16, 2025, I resigned my position to join the political wagon of Senator Ibrahim Lamido.”
Bawa is the first traditional ruler that has adjudged his fawning since an insurrection of the internal violence in the APC.
The spokesperson of the Lamido-led faction, Hon. Sani Yakubu Gudu, a member representing Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency, alleged that several serving commissioners, special advisers and other political appointees under Governor Aliyu are secretly advocating the Lamido faction.
But Abdullahi Tangaza, an APC stalwart loyal to Wammako, declared the agitations of the Lamido group were baseless. He insisted that the speak about saving the party from collapse under Wammako was merely a smokescreen by those crooked on dislodging the former governor.
“Was it not under Wamakko that APC returned support to conquer an election against a governing party? We know where this is coming from, and it will quickly be nipped in the bud,” Tangaza disclosed
Speaking to The Round Table Sunday, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida (state APC chairman), declined any purport of a squabble within the party in the state, insisting that such were the desperate moves of bad losers.
“APC is intact in Sokoto. We don’t have any confrontation and will not tolerate any group trying to create one. This irrelevant distraction is coming from starters in Sokoto politics. They are trying to create confusion, but they will not succeed,” he said.
As events deteriorated in the APC, the opposition PDP in the state seemed happy. The PDP publicity secretary, Hassan Sahabi, revealed the party was not surprised that the APC was confronting with internal squabbles, noting, “We saw this coming.”
“The invective of maladministration coming within the party only buttressed our allegations of corruption and mismanagement inherent in the administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu.
“We have thrown a contend to the APC-led government to provide evidence of a contract awarded to repair 25 boreholes at a cost of N1.2 billion, including the contract papers, locations and cost breakdown. We await their response,” Sahabi said.
Only time will inform whether the APC will come out of an invasion unscratched.
Regards to Leadeship
Category: World-News
Tag: Rumblings In Sokoto APC As Wamakko Lamido Supremacy Battle Festers
Written by Author
Published 10/20/2024