By Isa Danchadi
Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal says he’s committed to unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027. But in Sokoto, the very state that birthed his career, his record is riddled with broken promises, abandoned programs, and borrowed political structures. If you can’t hold your home-front, how do you claim the nation?
When Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal declared that he was “committed to sending Tinubu out of office in 2027,” the statement rang bold. But boldness without a base is empty rhetoric. And in Sokoto—the very soil where his political career took root—Tambuwal is standing on shaky ground.
A Man Made by Wamakko
Let’s be clear: Tambuwal did not build himself politically in Sokoto. In 2015, it was Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko who carried him into Government House. Without Wamakko’s structure, Tambuwal would have been a bystander, not a governor. That original dependency still haunts him today. He has never truly owned Sokoto politics. Let’s take a peep. The political hullabaloo, beginning from November 20, 2014, was aimed to consume then Speaker Tambuwal. His impeachment was planned, arising from his defections from the PDP to the APC.
Tambuwal’s attempt to contest the presidency under the APC hit the bricks wall because, given the number of more qualified, he was a loser at the cradle. But, then Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko would not let his own down. He pitched the idea of the Sokoto APC’s governorship ticket, and Wamakko’s canopy of accommodation provided the platform for Tambuwal to become governor.
Eight Years, Little to Show
Tambuwal’s tenure as governor is remembered less for transformation and more for stagnation. Roads remained broken, taps remained dry, schools underfunded, insecurity unchecked, and salaries delayed. Sokoto people elected a leader but got a talker. Take the skills acquisition programmes Wamakko started—lifelines for youth empowerment. Tambuwal abandoned them. Thousands of young people were left in the lurch, and with that, a legacy of missed opportunities.
A Visitor in His Own State
Like Johnny Walker, Tambuwal became an itinerant governor, who barely stayed in Sokoto for 72 hours. In fact, it got to a point where, when you saw him at the government house at 6pm, do not be sure he would sleep in Sokoto that day.
Welfare Without Substance
He paraded himself as a champion of the poor, yet retirees groaned for years without their entitlements. Sokoto was consistently listed among Nigeria’s poorest states, but instead of tackling the roots of poverty, Tambuwal dismissed the reports as “inaccurate.” To ordinary Sokoto families struggling to eat, that sounded like mockery, and it was. He was a governor all to himself but not of the people who elected him.
Talking to Bandits, Losing the People
On security, Tambuwal openly admitted his government engaged in “backdoor negotiations” with bandits. That was no show of strength—it was surrender dressed as pragmatism. Rural Sokoto communities remained unsafe, farmers were displaced, and the people lost faith. Pumps of funds into the ‘negotiations’ with the bandits only benefitted him, not his people who he swore to protect.
The EFCC arrest, The Release and the Celebration
On his invitation by the EFCC, Tambuwal, who received ₦168 billion from FAAC but left no trace of meaningful infrastructure has no business being celebrated for merely walking out of EFCC custody on administrative bail. That’s not victory, it’s simply the system buying him time. To roll out drums for such a man is to mistake disgrace for triumph, as though being asked questions about squandered billions is a badge of honour. In this case, the empty roads, abandoned schools, and ghost projects are testimonies more eloquent than any probe. You don’t need handcuffs to prove corruption when the evidence is written all over the state like a scar.
The People Remember
Today, Sokoto’s current administration is prioritizing pensions, social welfare, and rebuilding programs Tambuwal abandoned. And the people see the difference. Voters have long memories. They remember the governor who promised much but delivered little.
The Punchline
Tambuwal may talk big about 2027, but he cannot even guarantee Sokoto votes. Without Wamakko, he has no machinery. Without results, he has no credibility. Without a solid home-front, his dream of sending Tinubu packing is nothing more than political noise.
In politics, charity begins at home. And at home, Tambuwal is already bankrupt.
Danchadi writes from Sokoto through comdanchadiwurno@hotmail.com
