The political enmity between former governors Bafarawa and Wamakko has been on since 2006 with no end in sight.
Many watchers of the politics of Sokoto State in North West Nigeria had thought that the enmity that started in 2006 between former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa and his first deputy and eventual successor, Aliyu Wamakko, had ended in 2014 when the two "accidentally" reunited in the then newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC).
But after only a few months, Mr Bafarawa could no longer accept his former deputy as his leader in the new party. Mr Wamakko was the incumbent governor of Sokoto and was the new party's leader by virtue of his position as governor. Based on this grievance, Mr Bafarawa left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party he had said he detested passionately.
Since 2006, political contests in Sokoto have become largely about the rivalry between the two, forcing other political gladiators in the state to align with either Mr Bafarawa or Mr Wamakko. The current minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, and Ahmed Aliyu (the immediate former deputy governor under the APC) should at least be calling the shots for the APC, but Mr Wamakko, who is a senator, remains the leader.
In the PDP, Governor Aminu Tambuwal may be the titular leader in Sokoto but Mr Bafarawa's hands are visible in decision-making in the party. The former governor's influence is believed to be overwhelming in the party.
Before their political war began, Messrs Bafarawa and Wamakko shared a mutual respect for each other. In the build-up to the 1999 general elections, the then All People's Party (APP) in Sokoto needed a rich politician to match the PDP's influence (the PDP being a party of the old generals then). The APP also believed it needed a civil servant with a good record of service to appeal to the voters in the state, many of whom are civil servants.
While Mr Bafarawa, who has been in politics and business since at least 1979, had the financial muscle and political connections, Mr Wamakko was a civil servant who had retired as a director-general. The two got together as the governorship candidate and running mate and won the election for the APP. Life started smoothly between them.
The rivalry
But differences soon drove the two allies apart. The division worsened despite efforts by political, traditional, religious and business leaders in the state to reconcile the governor and his deputy. Eventually, Mr Wamakko, after getting wind of the plan by the State House of Assembly to impeach him, resigned from office.
Meanwhile, Mr Bafarawa continued to fight with those he considered to be loyal to Mr Wamakko, many of them powerful party leaders. He eventually left the APP himself and floated the Democratic People's Party (DPP). Although Mr Wamakko had taken control of the APP that had been abandoned by his old boss, he was persuaded by then President Olusegun Obasanjo and some party leaders to take the PDP governorship ticket instead.
Mr Bafarawa, who was rounding off his second term at the time, put up Maigari Dingyadi as the DPP candidate. But Mr Wamakko, with then water resources minister Mukhtar Shagari as his deputy, was declared winner of the 2007 election. Although the court voided the initial election and ordered a new poll, the PDP ticket won again.
In 2012, Mr Bafarawa sponsored Garba Ila Gada but they could not stop Mr Wamakko's reelection. In 2015, the rivals swapped parties with Mr Bafarawa joining the PDP and Mr Wamakko the APC. The latter backed then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tambuwal, in the governorship election and he defeated Abdallah Wali of the PDP. The only instance that Mr Bafarawa has had the upper hand against Mr Wamakko was in 2019 when Mr Tambuwal, seeking reelection under the PDP, defeated Mr Wamakko's trusted ally, Ahmed Aliyu of the APC.
The issues
All four consecutive elections between 2007 and 2019 have been proxy wars between Messrs Bafarawa and Wamakko, not necessarily about the candidates. Political discussions are mostly about the duo and the successes or failures were not duly credited to the candidates but to their godfathers.
However, some residents who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES in telephone interviews noted that the rivalry was "adding colour" to politics in the state.
Abdullahi Ahmad, a freelance journalist residing in the Runjin Sambo area of Sokoto metropolis, holds such a view.
"If you conduct a vox pop, I am sure you would find out that a lot of Sokoto people want Bafarawa and Ali Wamakko to stay in the political scene forever. It may sound weird, but where would the glamour come from without them?"
He added that their financial strength is also a reason why they hold the aces in the politics of the state.
"They have the money and they give it out," Mr Ahmad said. "They are ego-driven, which is good for their boys. In most of the cases, it is the two that decide who gets what seat in their political parties and because they have the money and connections, they continue being the top leaders."
A political analyst, Sadiq Kutigi, said the two heavyweights have solidified themselves in the political story of the state.
"Wamakko is more generous than Bafarawa but he also has his own allies working for him. Wamakko attends funeral prayers, weddings and what have you. Bafarawa has a lot of his political boys as commissioners and special advisers in the present administration," he said.
Mr Kutigi said the duo would be "around" the political scene for years to come because of the "many advantages they have over other politicians."
2023 showdown
When Mr Tambuwal emerged as the winner of the 2019 general elections by a slim merging, hundreds of supporters thronged Mr Bafarawa's residence to congratulate him. It was a fight into which he put everything to win, according to Mr Ahmad.
Mr Wamakko, on the other hand, took the defeat of his candidate personally and a long legal battle followed until Mr Tambuwal's reelection was confirmed by the courts, making Mr Bafarawa the de facto winner.
For the 2023 governorship election, While Mr Wamakko returned to Ahmed Aliyu, who contested against Mr Tambuwal in 2019, Mr Bafarawa, through Governor Tambuwal, settled for the immediate former Secretary to the State Government, Umar Saidu. However, Mr Bafarawa's eldest son, Sagir Bafarawa, is the deputy governorship candidate.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Though it does not seem to be an issue in his party, Mr Bafarawa's hands are visible in the calculations that led to the emergence of Mr Saidu and his son as the PDP candidates. On his part, however, Mr Wamakko has angered many leaders in his own party, including a sitting senator and a former minister, by influencing the nomination of Mr Aliyu again.
Pundits believe that the current showdown between the old adversaries will be more interesting because of some factors.
First, for Mr Bafarawa, it involves his son, whom he had groomed for years to take over his political dynasty. The younger Mr Bafarawa served under Mr Tambuwal as a commissioner for about four years. For the father, it will be a battle that must be won because the son is still 39 years old and can run for governor after being deputy governor for eight years.
On his part, Mr Wamakko will be eager to have one on Mr Bafarawa, his old rival, and punish Mr Tambuwal for betrayal.
Another factor that may make the contest hot is the fear that both are approaching the sunset of their political careers because of their ages. Mr Bafarawa is 68 while Mr Wamakko is 69. By 2027, both would be septuagenarians. Even if they are still around then, a new crop of rivals may have emerged to challenge their grips on the politics of the state that hosts the seat of the Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate. With this in mind, the duo will intensify efforts to help their anointed candidate win and settle the score of who between the two is the greater politician.
