When the country is on the precipice, many are of the view that the focus should be on individuals who can give the nation positive vibes.
Therefore, ahead of the 2023 general election, one name that has been talked about consistently is Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto.
There are leaders, and there are leaders. The ability of a leader to inspire confidence in the people through his track record makes him stand out when leaders are counted.
Many will agree that the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Tambuwal, has proved himself to possess distinguishable qualities that make a good leader. Tambuwal dares to take very urgent and key decisions that will solve most of the nation’s problems. He is clearly a leader with a vision. And because he is very young and has himself faced some of the hardships brought on us by the destructive actions of former leaders, he is prepared to create a perfect environment to change what has not been working for his generation and those to come.
Does Tambuwal have the specific traits and components of leadership? The answer lies in his track record. Described as a visionary leader, Tambuwal mixes freely with people of all religions and tribes and believes in the oneness of Nigeria.
His foray into politics has seen him move from the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) back to the ANPP to PDP and then to APC and back to PDP. His fans maintain that he never dumped his belief in the ideology of One Nigeria in all his political moves then.
The moves, according to them, essentially got him close to more people from the different parts of Nigeria and prepared him for the roles ahead.
While in the House of Representatives, he was a minority leader, elected the deputy chief whip in 2007. He was a member of several committees, including the House Committees on Rules & Business, Communications, Judiciary, Inter-Parliamentary and Water Resources. He was also a member of the House Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review.
He was chairman of the ad hoc committee that reviewed the controversial report of the power probe committee headed by Ndudi Elumelu. He was also the chairman, House Sub-Committee on the Bill for an Act to Amend the Land Use Act, and the acting chairman, House Committee on Power.
Speaking to Society Watch, a source who preferred anonymity said, “Tambuwal, when he was the PPP presidential candidate, shone like a star. His leadership skills, determination to excel and turn the fortunes of the country around within a short period, his unpolluted and unblemished name, and zero records of corruption stood for him and prompted acceptance by people from all over the country.
“Between 2011 and 2015, when Aminu Tambuwal was Speaker, he went about preaching peace, building bridges between warring communities, and personally visiting communities with ethnic/religious crisis with the sole aim of uniting them. And like a saviour on a mission, he did it with much compassion and dedication.”
Tambuwal believes that every part of Nigeria is supposed to be home to every Nigerian as stipulated by the constitution. “We should all be seen to provide leadership and accommodation wherever we find ourselves. Nigeria is our country.”
He has always denounced ethnic and religious conditions in Nigeria and believes Nigerians must be on the same page.
