The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Tambuwal local government area of Sokoto State has accused the former governor Aminu Tambuwal of neglecting his home community during his years in office, while praising Governor Ahmed Aliyu for what it described as a renewed focus on grassroots development.
The allegations were made at an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Tambuwal, where the party’s local chairman, Isa Sadiq Achida, pointed to visible projects, political appointments and empowerment programmes as proof of the current administration’s commitment to the area.
Achida also criticised Tambuwal’s reported involvement in a political coalition, describing it as a gathering of “the same old politicians moving from one party to another” and dismissing the alliance as “old wine in a new bottle”.
“They claim to be a new movement, but the people are not new to us. They are the same politicians who failed our state before,” he said, urging young people in Tambuwal to reject the coalition and support continuity.
At the meeting, Achida formally welcomed defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including three former councillors, who he said had joined the APC after witnessing what he called the governor’s development strides. He assured the new entrants of equal rights within the party and urged them to mobilise support across their communities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“This is a family meeting of the APC. We are here to assess what our government has done and plan ahead for the future,” he said.
Representing the Tambuwal local government chairman, Naigari Tambuwal, the council speaker, Nasiru Jabo, pledged that the area would improve on its performance in the last election.
Also addressing party members, the commissioner for higher education, Prof Ala, announced that at least three mega schools had been approved for Tambuwal local government, in a move aimed at expanding access to education.
The governor’s chief of staff, Aminu Dikko, praised party youths in the area for their loyalty and organisation, while commending Aliyu for what he said was the fulfilment of the expectations of APC leader Senator Aliyu Wamakko.
“Anyone who visits Sokoto today can attest to the transformation taking place across the state,” Dikko said, calling on the administration to properly document its achievements to counter misinformation.
He disclosed that 83 indigenes of Tambuwal local government had been appointed into various political offices, including commissioners, special advisers, permanent secretaries and board members. He also claimed that more than 8,300 residents had benefited from state financial support, with each receiving a minimum of N100,000.
Responding to speculation about his own political ambitions, Dikko dismissed the idea, saying he would only act on the directive of party leadership.
“In Sokoto, we operate like a family. The head of the family decides,” he said.
Party leaders concluded the meeting with confidence that the APC would defeat any opposition in the 2027 elections, citing what they described as visible progress in infrastructure, education, health, water supply and electricity across the state.
Efforts to reach the former governor for comment were unsuccessful as his phone line was not reachable at the time of filing this report.
The PDP in the state, through its spokesperson Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, said the party would respond at the appropriate time.
