Crisis is currently brewing among the leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Sokoto State over selection of governorship candidate.
The crisis started when the state leader of the party, Aliyu Wammako, allegedly recanted on his plan to field his former commissioner, Farouk Yabo, as the party’s governorship candidate.
DAILY NIGERIAN had reported the endorsement of Mr Yabo last week by Mr Wammako, but sources said the senator had made a detour to pick the current deputy governor Ahmed Aliyu.
Reliable sources said Mr Wammako had for long anointed Mr Yabo as governorship candidate, but some “saboteurs within” finally convinced the godfather to pick Mr Aliyu against Mr Yabo.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that Mr Wammako decided to adopt Mr Aliyu on the premise that he is the highest ranking political office holder between the two top contenders.
“But when you talk about years of experience, qualifications, human relations and popularity among the people of Sokoto State, Yabo is ahead. You can’t even compare the two.
“On at least three occasions, Sarkin Yamma (Wammako) directed Yabo to forgo his political ambitions, and as a loyal disciple, he accepted his godfather’s directive in good faith.
“When Sarkin Yamma asked Yabo to step down for Aliyu this time, Yabo objected and respectfully ask the godfather to, for once, direct Ahmed Aliyu to step down for him,” said a source familiar with Sokoto politics.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that top among those working against the selection of Mr Yabo as candidate are a member representing Kware/Wammako Federal Constituency, Ahmed Kalambaina, and state party chairman, Isah Sadiq Acida
But crisis is imminent in the party as four members of the House of Representatives and 12 APC members in the House of Assembly vowed to fight the selection of Mr Aliyu, who they said “lacks experience and does not respect anybody”.
“To show Yabo’s strength in the party, the 12 remaining members of APC in the House of Assembly bought the form for him, while the remaining four APC members of the House of Representatives from Sokoto submitted the form for him.
“I am telling a lot of APC leaders will rather commit anti-party activities than to work for Ahmed Aliyu as a governor.
“As I speak to you, there are some governors who cautioned Sarkin Yamma (Senator Wammako) against the choice of Ahmed Aliyu.
“We also confirmed that Tambuwal too is happy with the choice of Aliyu as he will not be a hard nut to crack for PDP,” a party chieftain in Sokoto, Mansur Hassan, told DAILY NIGERIAN.
It was gathered that Mr Wammako had offered Mr Yabo the position of deputy governor Mr Aliyu, but the former opted to go to primaries than to withdraw for the latter.
