Nigeria: 2015 Presidency - It's a Bait Tambuwal, Don't Fall for It

9 February 2013
opinion

When I read the report in one national daily last week to the effect that there were pressures on House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal aka AWT to join the 2015 presidential race, I laughed. I laughed because the idea, orchestrated by some people close to the centre of power in Abuja, had been on since November last year and it was plainly to draw Tambuwal into the fray and then leave him in the lurch. And Tambuwal, a smart and suave young man, knows this so well as I do. I know he won't fall for it. Don't get me wrong; AWT is eminently qualified for the presidency. Apart from his academic attainment, he has demonstrated good leadership in the way and manner he has been running the affairs of the House and can always ride on that any day for political ascendancy.

But if you ask me, I would say rather than vie for the presidency, why not the governorship? And I think the genuine moves that are on really are to get Tambuwal to enter the race for the governorship of his Sokoto home state, come 2015. For one, AWT is sufficiently on the ground in Sokoto and he is close to the powers that be - Governor Aliyu Wamakko and the Sultanate. He is from the same political tendency in the state as Wamakko. Secondly, I understand those close to both the governor and Speaker Tambuwal have been working surreptitiously to bring this plan to fruition for some time now. Virtually all the campaign machinery of Wamakko has been moved behind Tambuwal for the governorship project. Indeed, the singsong on Sokoto streets now is - Daga Aluu, Sai Aminu Waziri, which translates thus -After Aluu, as Wamakko is called in the state, it's Aminu Waziri, as Tambuwal is addressed in Sokoto.

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