Usama Dandare

Importantly, sundry presidential aspirants have started to emerge in an attempt to clinch the presidential ticket for the upcoming 2023 presidential election.

However, it’s worthy of note that, at moments like this, most of the aspirants who declared interests in joining the race are mere Jokers and pretenders while just a few are genuine contenders who are truly seeking for the plum office of the number one citizen. The jokers and pretenders are only interested in distracting the electorate with no iota of mission as regards the impending presidential race. Their only concern is to distract the mindsets of the unsuspecting Nigerians with a view to heating the polity to serve their own vested interest.

This reminds me of 1976, when Jimmy Carter, the frontrunner and Democratic Party candidate in the United States’ Presidential elections, was asked about the challenges posed by other three candidates contesting against him: Gerrard Ford, Senator Eugene McCarthy and Roger McBride. Jimmy Carter responded by saying that he believed Gerrard Ford, of the Republican party, has all it takes to pose a serous threat; but Eugene McCarthy, an independent candidate, and Roger McBride of the Libertarians were nothing but “jokers and pretenders”. To further substantiate his claims, Mr. Carter went on to win the elections by polling a total of 40,831,000 votes, with Ford coming slightly behind him with 39,148,000 votes while the “jokers and pretenders” McBride and McCarthy won 171,011 and 756,691 votes respectively.

It is imperative to note here that while most of the candidates who’ve indicated interest to run for Nigeria’s most exalted office are genuine contenders, others are there just for prolic to enrich their CVs with the title of “once a presidential aspirant." This piece focus on the latter with great interest to the presidential aspiration of Governor Aminu Waziri of Sokoto State.

There was no time in our political history when we have political nuisance pretending to be the answers to our contemporaneous predicaments. Throughout our history, the plum office of the president was vied by highly competent politicians who had set aglow the political scene with uncountable achievements and legacies worthy of emulation. Politicians like Chief Moshood Abiola, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mallam Aminu Kano, and General Shehu Musa Yar’adua all left behind legacies heavy enough to neglect in their quest to clinch the presidential seat. But here we are, the 2023 election is greeting the space with some caliber of jokers whose competence when put under scrutiny, is highly questionable and absolutely burlesque.

Topping the list of these jokers is Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Sokoto State governor who has governed the state for close to seven years without any tangible achievement to showcase, despite receiving a total inflow running into trillions of naira cluding loans and other sources. A visit Sokoto state today will leave any sane fellow in doubt as to whether the state has a sitting governor for all these years and must be amazed at the very slow pace of its development. Governor Tambuwal is unarguably the most underachieving governor in today’s Nigeria and the most successful on newspapers headlines. Thanks to the propagandas of some readymade pay-as-you-write agents contracted to launder the image of the governor to the outside world.

Today, Sokoto stands out as one of the most underdeveloped state considering the rate at which other states have been rapidly developing in the last seven years. All the governor is known for is his globetrotting, embezzlement of local government funds, media propaganda, signing of MOUs and purchase of some arangee awards of excellence. Recent revelations by a leaked EFCC memo summed it all. Albert I must confess, he has been able to declare a widely publicized State of Emergency on Education since his first year in office but the people of Sakkwato are yet to reap the fruits of that inglorious policy. Our public schools still remain in shamble while our children continue to pass through years of zero value added education due to the poor handling of the state educational sector.&nbsp;

His weak and masses unfriendly policies are making Sakkwatawa to live with poverty as their lifetime companion. Recent ranking from NBS rating Sokoto the most poorest state speaks volume of how Gov. Tambuwal is misgoverning the state and robbing out it future. Under the Tambuwal led administration, corruption has been authoritatively established around the state financial sector with few people robbing the state treasury in a broad daylight.&nbsp;

In the area of infrastructural, the Tambuwal administration has been nothing short of a colossal failure: he has as we speak failed to commission a single 10km road in and around state capital, not a single school or hospital was either built, let alone houses or bridges. All we are seeing are some white elephants in the name of infrastructure. His lackadaisical approach to the security of lives and properties of the electorate is also a pointer to the ineptness of his administration. Here come the poser: How will this incompetent, under-performing, and poor manager of human resources (who woefully failed to turn the fortune of an easy to govern state like Sokoto) have the wherewithal to rescue Nigeria in this critical moment in our national development?

My biggest problem with Tambuwal is his ego which on many occasions lured him into overrating his personality, hence deceiving himself into believing he has what it takes to deliver on a more complex task. Well, he may be forgiven for basking on the euphoria of his successes (if any) as a lawmaker and Speaker of the House of Representatives, quite oblivious to the fact that legislation is in it entirety parallel to administration.&nbsp;

I can't blame Tambuwal either for overrating his personality, such ego is only natural to a leader who ascended to power on a platter of gold. Let’s be realistic about it; Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was never known to be productive politically, he’s a typical opportunist who accidentally found his way to the top via some godfathers without any grassroots pedigree and one would percolate without success to find any of his achievements since becoming a political office holder in 2003. Hence, it isn't surprising if such an opportunist believe the office of the president can also be won by chance. Only time will tell but Tambuwal’s presidential aspiration is all but a sick joke.

As we await the 2023 general elections, it’s worthy of note that amongst all the personalities who have indicated interest to jostle for the presidential ticket, Governor Tambuwal is all but the most incompetent. In Jimmy Carter’s voice, I call him “a joker and a pretender”. And unlike McCarthy and McBride, our very own joker can hardly go beyond the primaries.

Disclaimer: This article is the opinion of a Pulse Contributor, it doesn't reflect the opinions of the company.

The rhythm of Nigeria's political troposphere has heightened with several political parties joining the fray and bringing into play more intrigues.

Tambuwal 2023: Of a joker and pretender [Pulse Contributor's Opinion]

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Usama Dandare

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Tambuwal 2023: Of a joker and pretender [Pulse Contributor's Opinion]