Why APC Will Sweep Sokoto LGA Poll

As the 21 September 2024 Sokoto State Local Government Areas’ election holds, Louis Achi puts the exercise on the scale, against the backdrop of Governor Ahmed Aliyu and the State Electoral umpire’s firm commitment to a free, fair and credible elections and PDP’s boycott

The unassuming, amiable Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto of Sokoto State has repeatedly assured the people of Sokoto State and indeed Nigerians of his administration’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, and credible election in the state’s 21st September 2024 local government elections. The first evidence of that intention was the retention of the members of the Sokoto State Independent Commission (SOSIEC) appointed by former Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

But for reasons best known to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which despite assurances threatened boycott of the election and ultimately opted out of the important poll due to a quirky fear that the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission (SOSIEC) which its leader appointed cannot be trusted to conduct a credible election.

Notwithstanding that the members of the body were appointed by former Governor Aminu Tambuwal, the fact that Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto is a firm rule-of-law stickler, he refused to dissolve them like other governors who took over from the opposition did.

How could the Aminu Tambuwal-led PDP in the stated disown their appointees? Is the former governor indirectly telling the world that the 27th March 2021 elections which the PDP won hands down didn’t reflect the will of the people and that he feared same treatment despite the assurances by the governor?

Leaning on his unblemished and proven credentials as a strong believer in rule of law and democrat, the governor has severally urged the PDP to reconsider its curious decision to boycott the LGAs’ poll but in vain. Governor Aliyu Sokoto again pushed this appeal recently while addressing a large crowd of All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters from eight local governments in the Sokoto East Senatorial Zone, at Goronyo at the flag-off of the party campaign ahead of the LGAs’ poll in the state.

Hear Governor Ahmad Sokoto: “The leaders of the Sokoto Independent Electoral Commission were appointed by the previous PDP administration of Governor Aminu Tambuwal and I have not altered that structure. I wonder why the PDP is afraid of participating in the elections that would be organised by SOSIEC that they appointed.”

For good measure, Governor Aliyu Sokoto further assured the opposition in the state that SOSIEC, under his administration, would conduct free, fair, and credible local government elections unlike what the PDP did in 2021. “I had a meeting with the Chairman of SOSIEC, and he assured me of the commitment of the members to conduct a transparent election and that whoever wins will be declared the winner because that’s the will of the people” the governor affirmed.

Having been widely perceived as a victim of electoral fraud in the 2019 governorship elections it’s not surprising that the governor has shown willingness to respect the will of the Sokoto State people. He equally has demonstrated amazing political skills by ensuring that he delivered on his campaign promises.

The Sokoto State voters are expected to come out in large numbers and vote for the candidates of their choice. The APC candidates who despite the withdrawal of the PDP have continued to campaign for their votes deserve to be rewarded so that working with the APC-led state government, they can ensure the continuation of people-oriented projects in the state. The emerging consensus is that the current administration has performed well in all sectors of development.

As Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, the respected APC leader in the state at the various campaign rallies has said, politics is about serving the people and the incoming elected officials must work with Governor Aliyu Sokoto to continue the urgent task of transforming the state. The eight years of Aminu Tambuwal was no doubt a disaster.

Wamakko’s words: “Mr. Governor, we are very proud of you. You have made significant progress in all sectors of development in the state. Please continue the good work and am sure the new chairmen would work with you to change the story of our state”.

It’s gladdening to know that SOSIEC is determined to conduct a credible election especially as the governor wants the right thing done. The people of Sokoto State are watching and would want the commission to match its reassurances to conduct credible local government elections in the 244 political wards and 3,991 polling units across the state, with actions on Saturday.

The engagement between the Commission, and all the registered 18 political parties in its effort to ensure credible polls, led to the agreement of September 21 for the polls with no fewer than 15 political parties registering their interest in the polls is commendable.

The USAID Nigeria-State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) activity, that discussed issues that can cause conflict and how best to handle such matters according to SOSIEC has proved beneficial. SIEC has a responsibility to correct the failures of the last local government elections of 2021 which the PDP had won, despite the mere 342 votes between Aminu Tambuwal and Governor Ahmad Sokoto. It’s significantly regrettable that the PDP boycotted the elections.

But why did PDP opt for boycott of the LGAs’ poll, especially given the fact that it was the PDP that constituted the current SOSIEC? What really is the main opposition party’s beef with LGAs’ election? Alhaji Bello Aliyu Goronyo, Chairman of the PDP in Sokoto had initially expressed doubts about participating in the poll due to what he called unresolved security issues in 14 of the state’s 23 local government areas.

He had also insisted that SOSIEC must address what he called “significant concerns” before raising almost on a daily basis, issues it wanted addressed.

From “issues of significant concern” Alhaji Bello Aliyu Goronyo, went on to criticize the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission (SOSIEC) for requiring parties to buy nomination forms before primary elections. He had also problem with SOSIEC’s decision not to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Responding to PDP’s shrill criticism, SOSIEC Chairman Alhaji Aliyu Sulaiman confirmed the commission’s decision to forgo BVAS, citing controversial experiences from the 2023 elections. “We resolved not to use BIVAS to avoid unnecessary controversies. It’s not mandatory,” Sulaiman stated, noting that the PDP had not purchased any nomination forms by the deadline, unlike other parties.

It wasn’t surprising that PDP eventually chickened out of the LGAs poll. The emerging political consensus is that the PDP had clearly seen the handwriting on the wall, hence its decision boycott the September 21 election.

Significantly, since the PDP was upstaged in the 2023 governorship election by APC’s Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto they opted for confrontation and campaign of calumny against the governor. “I took over the mantle of leadership of Sokoto State without working documents. I mean there was no handover notes for me to work with. I started as a total fresher,” an obviously miffed Governor Aliyu told THISDAY. 

THISDAY checks revealed the immediate past administration of Aminu Tambuwal left what many see as a deliberate confusion to entrap the successor administration. The Aminu Tambuwal administration left huge unpaid pension and gratuities, delayed salaries and uncompleted projects.

But it would appear they didn’t count on the nimble governance nous and political gravitas of youthful Governor Aliyu who deployed a stern focus to leapfrog the mines laid on his course and has now birthed a new progressive direction for Sokoto State.

More, Governor Ahmed Aliyu long before the Supreme Court judgment had embraced Local Government Area autonomy as one of his 9-point governance agenda. He instigated changes in the local government law to increase the tenure of the chairmen and councilors from two to three years. This puts Governor Aliyu and the APC in even more populist position to sweep the poll.

As it were, since the main opposition PDP had not purchased the requisite nomination forms by the deadline set by SOSIEC, like other parties have done according to the Commission chairman Sulaiman, then it’s obvious they are effectively out of contention in the September 21 LGAs election in Sokoto State.