Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwalhas perfected plans to be the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Sokoto South following the rise of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate, PREMIUM TIMES can report authoritatively.
Tambuwal, whose second statutory term as governor expires next year, had sought to be his party’s presidential candidate but resigned and endorsed Atiku just before voting began during the primary.
Atiku won the primary elections with 371 votes.
Although he did not participate in the Sokoto South senatorial primary in his state, PREMIUM TIMES has learned that Mr. Tambuwal has finalized plans to replace the contest winner, Aminu Bodinga, as the party’s candidate during the National Assembly elections. next year.
Mr. Bodinga, the former Immediate Land and Survey Commissioner, was elected unopposed.
Sources close to the Sokoto state government told this newspaper that Mr. Tambuwal asked the former commissioner to stand as a representative while he was vying to be the party’s presidential candidate.
“Wasn’t it surprising that only Aminu Bala Bodinga was vying for the position? All the other applicants refused to buy the form when they learned that His Excellency had a plan B,” a Shagari local government PDP chief told PREMIUM TIMES.
He insisted that most cabinet members were aware of the “deal”.
The source said that Tambuwal co-opted the former commissioner to help him execute his plan because Bodinga is one of his most loyal loyalists.
“They are close friends and I can tell you that no one knows the depth of their friendship”
The source said that when the time comes, Bodinga will notify the party of his decision not to run in the election, giving Tambuwal a chance to replace him as the party’s candidate.
Contacted for comment, Governor Tambuwal’s spokesman, Muhammadu Bello, said he was not aware of the deal.
He sent a brief answer like this: “I don’t know”
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Mr. Bodinga did not respond to several calls and an SMS sent to him by this reporter. After attempts to get a response from him failed, the phone number stopped connecting.
How is it possible?
Although the time for the primary elections for PDP members in the National Assembly has passed, Mr. Tambuwal still has a chance to participate in the general elections.
But this can only happen with the help of the candidate who has the ballot.
Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2022, as amended, provides that a candidate may withdraw and the party may replace him with another candidate.
The section reads: “A candidate may withdraw his candidacy by written notice signed by himself and delivered personally by the candidate of the political party that nominated him for election and the political party shall transmit said withdrawal to the commission no later than 90 days for the election.
Article 33 of the Electoral Law establishes how said candidate should be replaced.
“A political party may not change or substitute a candidate whose name has been submitted under section 29 of this Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal of a candidate.
“Provided that in the event of the withdrawal or death of the candidates, the affected political party must, within 14 days following the occurrence of the event, hold a new primary election to produce and submit to the electoral affairs commission.”
It’s not the first time
Tambuwal explored this loophole in 2019 when he was finishing his first four years as governor and decided to run as his party’s candidate.
After he failed to win the party’s ticket, his deputy, Manir Dan Iya, whom he used as his proxy, wrote to the party withdrawing his candidacy.
Since there were no other participants in the party’s primary elections, the party was asked to field another candidate to replace Mr. Dan Iya.
Tambuwal is not the only politician who has explored the loophole. A former Gombe state governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, who also contested the 2019 PDP presidential primary, used a representative, Muhammad Ribadu, to win Gombe North’s senatorial ticket.
After Dankwambo failed in his bid to be the party’s presidential candidate, Ribadu organized a political rally to welcome him and handed him the senatorial ballot.
He, however, lost during the general election.
SEE: Governor Yahaya Bello’s roadmap to Hope 2023