Before the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition came to Sokoto for their convention that looked more like a reunion of power-hungry ex-office holders who now find idleness in opposition too uncomfortable, the state itself has just witnessed a very busy two weeks where real governance was showcased for all the world to see.
Yes, for two straight weeks, Governor Ahmed Aliyu was busy receiving dignitaries from across Nigeria who came not to talk shop, but to commission one critical infrastructure after another; projects that cut across water supply, housing, roads, urban renewal, and religious infrastructure; all areas where one of the coalition’s poster boys, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, failed woefully.
And from the story they were selling after the convention, it is clear to everyone that, what the ADC and their coalition had in mind is not the delivery of dividends of democracy. No! It’s simply a good old power grab dressed in flowing agbadas and armed with bold statements. Somehow, they convinced themselves, and anyone who cared to listen, that 2027 was theirs for the asking. That they were “taking back Sokoto state” and, by extension, “rescuing Nigeria.”
The opposition’s position is the funniest thing I have heard since standup comedy came spotlight in Nigeria. So, to borrow the words of the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, to Kemi Badenoch: we will have to let Nasir El-Rufai and the coalition down, gently. Let them know that the irony of their desperation wasn’t lost on us. I mean, how do you “rescue” what you nearly ran aground?
Except the coalition chooses to play the peacock by burying its head in the sand, Nigerians already know that theirs is a political assembly of the frustrated. A coalition of the conveniently united, bound not by ideology or the people’s interest, but by a shared discomfort with being out of power. These are individuals who ruled before but left behind little to remember; except, perhaps, rising poverty rates, infrastructure decay, and bloated legitimate and illegitimate pensions. Today, they’ve rebranded themselves as “saviours,” conveniently forgetting we’ve seen this script before, and it ends in the kind of disappointment Nigerians are no longer ready for, or interested in.
In any case, here in Sokoto state, we know better and we have seen better from Governor Aliyu. We’re not about to trade tangible progress for the recycled ambition of a few politically jobless big men. Not when Dr Ahmed Aliyu is proving daily that leadership is not about long speeches and television appearances, but about solving real problems.
Across the state, you’ll find evidence of this. The Old Airport Water Scheme delivering 3 million gallons of water daily; the Gawon Nama and Girafshi roads opening up inner communities; the Sokoto Information and Geographic Centre (SOGIS) simplifying land administration; the Gande-Male-Gwahitto Road unlocking rural prosperity; and the Kantin Sauki Na Ahmadun Alu market providing affordable food for civil servants.
Civil servants abandoned to the wiles of hunger and penury because of withheld salaries and even retirement benefits have since seen their welfare brought to the centre of the table. As I write this, Sokoto state pays the new national minimum wage, has cleared backlogs of salaries and retirement benefits owed by the Tambuwal administration. Ahmed Aliyu has achieved all this without borrowing a dime and is, in fact, gradually rolling back the debts accrued by the predecessor.
See, we aren’t talking about just projects, we are talking about an obsession even with workers’ welfare. All these are legacy statements not left on the pages of newspapers, but written deep in the lives and livelihoods of the people of the state. And without making it too obvious, these resonate deeper and louder in the minds of the people than any press conference organised by displaced desperate former public office holders.
I believe it is also imperative to talk about the political reality of the ADC coalition, which they would rather ignore – that Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko remains a political colossus in Sokoto. His grassroots appeal and enduring political network stretch across every ward and polling unit in the state. If there’s anyone who understands Sokoto politics in both strategy and soul, it is Wamakko. And that’s why his protégés, like Governor Ahmed Aliyu, continue to succeed where others fail.
Evidence abound of Wamakko’s political structure. In the 2019 elections, for instance, despite being an incumbent governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of the PDP barely scrapped through with 512,002 votes to defeat the APC’s 511,661—a margin of just 341 votes. Therefore, the PDP’s complete capitulation in 2023 did not come as a surprise to anyone. They couldn’t hold on to the government they inherited, because the people had seen through the pretence and were ready for something different, something real. Perhaps, Tambuwal fears even his senatorial seat may get out of his rich, hence the desperation to pitch tenth with the coalition of displaced politicians.
The ADC may shout themselves hoarse in Sokoto, but the political terrain here is not shaped by noise. It’s shaped by performance and deep-rooted relationships built over time. That’s why the Aliyu administration resonates with the masses. That’s why two weeks of projects commissioning wasn’t an overkill, it was long overdue.
And when the likes of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Governor Ododo of Kogi, Governor Namadi of Jigawa, and Ministers like Festus Keyamo and Muhammad Dingyadi came to Sokoto, not for a retreat or courtesy call, and not to make desperate noises like Nasir El-Rufai and co; but to commission solid, people-driven projects, it tells you all you need to know about where Sokoto stands in Nigeria’s current political matrix.
Yet, it isn’t just about roads and water pipes. It’s about vision, commitment, and a people-first governance philosophy. And that’s why many in Sokoto state are already saying what needs to be said: we’re not done with Ahmed Aliyu. The man has only just started.
To conclude this piece, I will like to join the multitude of the people of Sokoto state to say to the ADC coalition: enjoy your convention, feed your eyes and take photos of progress back with you from our beautiful city. If you like, make more speeches. But know this, 2027 in Sokoto state is not up for grabs. The people have tasted real governance and will not trade it for recycled ambition wrapped in self-righteous noises.
In just two years in office Ahmed Aliyu has set the bar very high and all I can confidently say is that for us, there are many more years of projects commissioning ahead. And building. And planning. Sokoto state is not for sale, and progress, once tasted, is never forgotten.