Danjuma James, Sokoto
The Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, says Sokoto State remains entirely an All Progressives Congress (APC), State, which is solidly behind President Muhammadu Buhari.
Reacting to Wednesday’s defection of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), alongside eighteen members of the State House of Assembly and other supporters, Wamakko said the State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, seven House of Representatives members, twelve other members of the State House of Assembly and hundreds of thousands of other people in the state have vowed to remain in the APC.
Senator Wamakko, who is a former Governor of the state and who represents Sokoto North Senatorial District said, ” the people of the state are also solidly behind me, other Senators, other House of Representatives members and elders who have chosen to remain in the APC,” according to a statement issued by Wamakko’s Media Aide, Bashir Rabe Mani.
” Whatever crowd you might have seen or been told, just take it as a mere story.
” As a matter of principle, it is not in my character to abuse people, but, what I am assuring is that, Sokoto state is an APC state .”
Senator Wamakko maintained that in the next few days, Nigerians would know who is really in charge of Sokoto State.
The lawmaker assured that, there was no cause for alarm, adding, ” but, I pity my younger brother, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. He is a very promising young politician, with full potentials.
” But, may be something else is guiding his decision. This is the worst decision he has taken in his life.
” At his age, he should not be in a hurry. He is a fine young politician, I have a lot of respect for him.
” If he had taken the consideration of the people he is representing, the people of Sokoto State, he should not have gone into the PDP .”
Senator Wamakko further recalled that, Governor Tambuwal was part of the crusade about dumping the PDP in 2015, but noted that, there is nothing about PDP as a party now.
He expressed hope that Tambuwal would rescind his decision and come back to the APC.
According to him, the recent gale of defections at the National Assembly had not made the APC a minority party at both the chambers of the assembly, contrary to the general assumptions of Nigerians.
Senator Wamakko further opined that the defections were a good omen for the party and that, it is currently stocktaking, hence, it is coming out stronger .
He promised that most of the defectors were trying to come back into its fold, adding, ”in the next few days or months,Nigerians would be surprised how the APC is going to fare .”
Senator Wamakko further stated that the current flurry of defections in the country were common since the return of democracy in 1999, saying, ” parties making realignments and mergers is just normal .
” That is the beauty of democracy. People should be given the freedom to be where they want to be . It is nothing unusual” , the statement further stated.
