Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal
Former Governor of Sokoto State and Senator representing Sokoto South Senatorial District, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in this interview with newsmen in Sokoto on the eve of his 60th birthday, reassured that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned about the future of Nigeria. He also spoke on why some governors are defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), among other national issues.
*QUESTION*
Distinguished Senator, sir. At 60, you have seen Nigeria of yesterday and today. What is your expectation of Nigeria of the future?
*RESPONSE*
Well, let me begin by thanking Almighty God for not only sparing my life to see today, which is the eve of my 60th birthday anniversary, but also for all the accomplishments over these years, and for still being in good health. I also want to thank God for the special blessings of all the people that I have met, known, and who are around me thus far.
I frankly believe that Nigeria is a great country. It is a country whose potentials have been spoken about over the years. However, the nation is still not yet where it ought to be. There is work in progress.
But looking back from the time I attained the maturity to understand my environment till today, I will say that some achievements have been recorded, but not as expected. There is still a lot of work to be done, and much of it rests on the shoulders of the leaders of the country and indeed the states.
So, I still believe that Nigeria is a great country and it can be taken to that desired height. At the moment, what we yearn for is selfless leadership that is focused on development and genuine concern for its people. So, the future of Nigeria is really very great.
*QUESTION*
There is always this saying that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. In the Nigerian scenario, do the leaders of today truly believe in that ideology?
*RESPONSE*
Well, the youths are capable of creating opportunities for themselves. Let them speak for themselves. And we should also ask if the leaders of today are doing things that actually conform with this long-standing expression of youths becoming leaders of tomorrow.
Leaders are expected to invest in the education of our youths. They should invest in their healthcare and in their future. That was exactly the focus of my administration when I was the Governor of Sokoto State.
And of course, you can see what happened during my administration. We believed in promoting youths, and some of them are doing very well in their respective leadership positions today.
So, I believe that as leaders, we need to do more to make the youths the leaders of tomorrow. I am speaking for myself, particularly at this stage of my life. I believe in nurturing and growing leaders, especially those coming behind us. That is why you see around me a good number of youths and young leaders emerging.
Therefore, as leaders, we need to do more in identifying these youths, instilling good values in them, and mentoring them for leadership positions.
*QUESTION*
Most Nigerians respect you for the harmony you created during your reign as Speaker of the 7th National Assembly. Today, Nigeria seems to be at a crossroads, with disunity and hatred displayed like never before. What is your view on this?
*RESPONSE*
Yes, the unity of Nigeria has always been a challenge. This is a country with diverse cultures, languages, ethnicities, and religions. There is really no country like Nigeria in the world, so these differences are bound to exist.
If I may recall, during the era of our forebear, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, he was popularly quoted as saying, “We must not bury our differences but understand and appreciate them, and try to address those concerns.”
So, my appeal to leaders of today is that they should carry everybody and every region along in unity and equity, especially when you have an amalgam like Nigeria.
But what we have seen with the leaders of today, especially in this current administration, is a clear case of ethnic chauvinism. And I have no apology to say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is tilting more towards empowering the Southwest.
Not even the entire southern Nigeria that he claims to be representing when it comes to the issue of rotational presidency. The facts are very clear. Even within the Southwest, if you ask them, they will tell you it is all about his Lagos cocoon and not even the entire Southwest.
So, there is a lot of widening division under this current administration. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu really needs to refocus his vision and programmes on Nigeria as a whole, so that these fault lines can be addressed and the gaps reduced.
*QUESTION*
Should Nigerians still expect that unifying spirit and leadership prowess you demonstrated as Speaker of the 7th National Assembly from you again, now that you are a Senator?
*RESPONSE*
Well, that is why we are still where we are today — beginning again, as some of our leaders used to say, “Begin Again.” And that is exactly what we are doing in the coalition.
We are trying to work together as Nigerians and bring everybody who is genuinely concerned about the unity, progress, development, and future of this country on board.
That is what I see coming out of what we are doing as a coalition.
Though what we are doing is not entirely new, as it is not a new political order, it is all of us coming together to rebuild political confidence — confidence among political leaders and the citizenry of this great country — so that the connection between leaders and the rest of Nigerian society remains intact.
*QUESTION*
Do you see the new coalition, ADC, capable of unseating incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027?
*RESPONSE*
By the grace of God, yes. You can see it clearly. All the signs are there. That is why they are panicking, intimidating, and harassing governors to join their political party.
This is what they started right from when cases were before the Supreme Court. We were aware that the Presidency was involved in midwifing processes whereby governors were returned, even in cases where there were clear injustices and miscarriage of justice.
All the governors who had cases at the Supreme Court, it was clearly negotiated. The intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made them continue, and that is why they now feel morally obliged because of that political “I owe you” between the President and those governors. That was the deal — for them to join his party.
That is not democracy. That is politics. And when governors are defecting the way they are defecting, you should know the reason.
I defected as a sitting governor, but I did not defect to President Muhammadu Buhari’s ruling party, despite being a governor from the North-West.
Out of my conviction that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was derailing, I left and joined the opposition in an attempt to re-establish proper democratic efforts and good governance in Nigeria.
So, when I see governors running away from political parties simply because they want to align with the centre and belong to the centre because they believe that someone will write results for them, then that is bullshit.
Nobody is going to write any results this time around. Nobody — and I repeat, nobody — because we are ready and prepared to go through an election process that must be free and fair. Any attempt to write results will be resisted lawfully and constitutionally.
*QUESTION*
Most of your political associates and supporters in Sokoto and beyond are eager to know your stand on the ADC coalition.
*RESPONSE*
The ADC is still a work in progress. I have never hidden my involvement. I have been part of it from day one — from its formation to clearing the bushes, I have been involved.
And it will culminate into what it is supposed to be at the end of the day. Very soon, we will make our position known to everyone. We will engage in deeper consultations with our stakeholders here and then take a final position.
But certainly, we are not going to partake in the further destruction of this country.
