September 23, (THEWILL) — The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida, has expressed outrage at critics of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, the political leader of the party in Sokoto.
Speaking to journalists in Sokoto, Achida said that the APC leader would remain relevant in Sokoto politics, warning that his generosity “must never be repaid with betrayal or insults.”
He specifically aimed at Senator Ibrahim Lamido, the Senator representing Sokoto Eastern zone, whom he described as a Zamfara indigene with no political future in Sokoto.
He notes that the era of non-indigenes exploiting the hospitality of the state for political gain is over.
The APC chairman, while reacting to reports that Lamido is leading a faction of the party in Sokoto, dismissed the claim as baseless, insisting that Lamido has instead been fighting the APC from within.
“Senator Ibrahim Lamido is not from Sokoto State; he is from Zamfara. If he wishes to contest the 2027 elections, he should do so in his home state.
“He is free to reside here like every other law-abiding Nigerian, but certainly not as a future political representative of our people. There is nothing to reconcile with Senator Lamido. The APC did absolutely nothing to him. He has been the one waging a relentless campaign against the party”, Achida stated.
“Even if reconciliation were to occur, we would never trust him with the senatorial ticket again. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.” Describing Lamido as a political liability, Achida noted that the senator could not even deliver his polling unit during the 2023 general elections.
“We gave him the platform and the structure, and he unfortunately turned against us. He has bitten the very hand that fed him. His political career is over. Both the APC and the people have disowned him”, he added.
The APC chairman also dismissed the relevance of Senator Abubakar Umar Gada, who claimed to have attracted APC members into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), part of a coalition seeking to challenge the ruling party in 2027.
“In the 2023 governorship election, Gada got just over 3,500 votes across the entire state. That’s less than what a strong candidate gets in one polling ward. He has no base and no future in Sokoto politics”, Achida remarked.
He maintained that the APC remains united and strong under Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto and the guidance of Senator Wamakko, describing reports of factions or coalitions as media exaggerations.
“Our party is not under any threat from these self-serving individuals. The real APC is intact, working, and delivering dividends of democracy to the people. And the people of Sokoto State have seen the difference”, Achida said.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
