Sokoto based journalist and Editor of News Diary, Mr. Abdullahi El-Kurebe, in an interview with The DEFENDER Newspaper (Online) Saturday morning, took a cursory look at the emerging politics of Sokoto State and declared that whether the defection by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, which was done, according to him, based on his alliance with former Governor of the state, Attahiru Bafarawa, will hold water or not will be determined by the crowd Bafarawa’s successor and currently Senator, Alhaji Aliyu Matagakarda Wamakko will pull as he comes to town this Saturday.  El-Kurebe also spoke on the attempt to drag the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar into the politics defection that took place saying it the PDP did it to rubbish the monarch he described as always impartial.  Excerpts:

What is the situation now in Sokoto with the defection of Governor Tambuwal to PDP?

Well, Wamakko is coming into Sokoto today and it is when he comes that we shall see how things go.

Don’t you think the defection of the governor will affect the chance of APC continuing to have Sokoto as its stronghold?

Actually I don’t think so.  And I don’t think so because, Tambuwal’s handling of Sokoto is not as effective as what Wamakko has done.  He does not seem to have laid his own political structures across the Local Government, for example.  We see him as still riding on the Wamakko’s structures.  He was always busy going round the country travelling and so on.

With the alignment with Bafarawa now, something probably different may happen.

Meaning that by your own analysis, Bafarawa still holds a meaningful influence in Sokoto?

That that meaningful because, when Bafarawa and his people were defeated, they began to stay away and so, people were not feeling their impacts.  They allowed APC to be there always with the people.

Same thing with Wamakko, who has always been in Sokoto on ground with the people even if Tambuwal is not around.  And for Sokoto, that is what they want.  Sokoto people you as their leader to be around them always.

But you know this Bafarawa lacks.  He always stayed away until recently when now came to align with Tambuwal.

You see, what they (PDP) wanted to do with that attempt to drag Sultan into the politics that played out was to rubbish the “unrubbishable” monarch because they felt he is not with them.  That is why they want to rubbish him.

But Bafarawa himself is a dependable ally, I used to know.  Don’t you think his stature would not be a bad idea for Governor Tambuwal?

But it is going to be a thug of war.  If we see the crowd that Wamakko will pull today, that might likely be the determining factor because he plays the kind of politics that is people-oriented.

People-oriented politics in what sense?

Yes, people-oriented politics in the sense that Wamakko is always there for you, no matter who you are, no matter your class.  If you go to his house, which of course in the middle of a market, you will see people of different statuses; leper, young, adult and the elderly, women and children, they are always around there with him whenever he returns home from his duty post in Abuja.

This is the kind of thing that Sokoto people want and Wamakko has been doing this all this while.  The people want you to be there for them at all times.  Wamakko will attend your wedding and will attend your naming ceremony.

I was reading your piece on the Sultan and Tambuwal.

Okay, but what about that, because I do not think politicians should cause problem for Tambuwal by trying to drag Sultan who is father of all into his politics of defection since when politics ends, it is he, Buhari and the Sultan that will remain both as Muslims and Fulani people?

You see, people who did that social media work were trying to achieve a goal they cannot achieve because Sultan has always stayed clear.

They (PDP) wanted to drag him into wooing Tambuwal back into their fold.  It was after the six governors came to Sokoto and they failed, another committee was supposed to be set up…

But why do you think that PDP always uses the tactics of dragging traditional rulers into playing their partisan politics; I mean they also did the same thing with Governor Wamakko when Jonathan visited the Sultan and the PDP politicians sent message to town to say the President had come to get the Sultan to “bring” Wamakko back into PDP, which Wamakko told me and his Commissioner for Information at that time, Mallam Danladi Bako, to be false?

You see, what they (PDP) wanted to do with that attempt to drag Sultan into the politics that played out was to rubbish the “unrubbishable” monarch because they felt he is not with them.  That is why they want to rubbish him.