Sokoto guber: Internal crisis threatens PDP’s victory in 2023

There are strong indications that the Peoples Democratic Party PDP) may lose its governorship seat in Sokoto State unless the internal crisis bedevilling the party is resolved amicably prior to the 2023 general election.

The fissures of conflicts widened in the state over the emergence of Governor Tambuwal’s favourite, Sa’idu Umar, as the PDP governorship candidate of the state.

The party, in 2019, won the governorship election with a slight margin of 511,660 votes against APC’s 486,145 votes.

A PDP chieftain in Sokoto State, Yusuf Mohammed, said the outcome of the primary disenchanted many party loyalists which he said would affect the party in 2023.

“I don’t know the reason why our governor came to this wrong arithmetical conclusion to drop the favourite among PDP elders, youths, and the citizenry and the most feared candidate by the APC in Sokoto State because of his acceptability.

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“He was dropped for someone people barely knew and does not have the strong personality to win even the election.

“Sa’idu Umar is unpopular among the four contenders, and many can attest to this. He is yet to be accepted even in the PDP not to talk of the generality of the people.

“I think Tambuwal did it to return power to the APC. His deputy, Manir Dan’iya, stands a better chance but he didn’t choose him,” Mohammed said.

Some aggrieved members who have already dumped the PDP for the APC include the Special Adviser to the governor, Ibrahim Gidado; Salihu Kalanjine; Commissioner for Careers and Security Matters, Col. Garba Isa (retd.); and the Chairman of Tangaza LGA, Isa Kalanjine.

Others are Zakariyya Madugu, Abubakar Kalanjine, Abubakar Aliyu, Halilu Aliyu, Ibrahim Sarkin Tudu, Musa Sulaiman Sakkwai, Abdullahi Garba, Jamilu Muhammad, Abubakar Garba, and Jamilu Muhammad.

The Star