TheCable

The governorship battle in Sokoto state is going to be a family affair ─ if you will ─ but Abdallah Wali and Aminu Tambuwal will have to prove that blood is thicker than politics to avoid a bitter kindred feud in the February 21, 2015 poll.

Wali, Nigeria’s ambassador to Morocco, picked the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, and will now come face to face with his brother-in-law, Tambuwal, who picked the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week.

Tambuwal, a monogamist, is married to Wali’s sister ─ “same father, same mother” as Nigerians would say.

But there is yet another strong bond between them: it was Wali who introduced Tambuwal to national politics in 1999 when he brought the young man all the way from Sokoto to Abuja.

Wali, who was a senator and senate leader, appointed Tambuwal as his senior legislative assistant in 1999. Tambuwal had played his own role in Wali’s election, so it was a good reward.

That marked the beginning of Tambuwal’s foray into Abuja politics. By 2003, he was elected into the house of representatives, having defected from the PDP to ANPP for strategic reasons. He would go on to become speaker in 2011 on returning to the PDP, and he has Wali to thank for giving him a head start in national politics.

But Wali also owes Tambuwal ─ his nomination as ambassador to Morocco was done by the speaker. One good turn deserving another, that is. Wali was easily cleared by the senate, enjoying the privilege accorded former senators.

Both candidates are from Tambuwal local government in Sokoto state.

The election promises to be a family affair with a difference: on whose side will Tambuwal’s wife be? She would most likely want to be “first lady” rather than “first sister”!