By Louis Achi
The recent laudatory appraisal of Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State, focusing on his leadership trajectory by a respected Northern political personality go beyond the governor’s recent deserving, acclamatory recognitions mirrored in the “Best Governor of the Year Award, 2024,” bestowed on him by a major national newspaper.
A fortnight ago, leaning on the best of statesmanship, the former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa proclaimed that the youthful state chief executive’s leadership qualities closely echo those of the late Northern sage, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello – the powerful, unassuming Premier of the Northern Region. Cut to the bone, this compelling evaluation speaks to a sea-change in political perception and calculations in that conservative North-Western regional enclave.
According to a reflective Bafarawa, Governor Aliyu has been replicating the leadership qualities of Sir Ahmadu Bello, urging him to maintain the happy momentum. His words: “Your style of leadership is quite similar to that of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. So, continue with it.”
There’s more. The former governor also praised Governor Aliyu for fostering peace and unity in the state and assured him of his continued support and assistance. He noted that Governor Aliyu’s inclusive governance style had significantly transformed Sokoto’s political landscape by leaving no room for opposition, owing to his myriads of plausible peace-building initiatives.
Hear him: “I’m equally aware of your reconciliatory efforts, which go beyond Sokoto State. Whenever there is a misunderstanding or dispute, you always intervene until an amicable resolution is reached. This is indeed commendable, so keep it up.”
Significantly, speaking to the same qualities and echoing Bafarawa’s appraisal, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, during his 2025 Sallah homage to the governor, called attention to the fact that, in Sokoto State under Governor Aliyu’s administration, “All Nigerians residing in the state are treated as indigenes, thereby giving everyone a sense of belonging. In Sokoto State, we don’t have non-indigenes, but rather members of the resident community.”
Essentially, this indicates that the government does not discriminate against any group or any part of the state in the distribution of the dividends of good governance.
Unfortunately, many states pay at best lip service to the ideal that no citizen of Nigeria should not be discriminated against as “non-indigene” in any part of the country, simply because the person chooses to live and ply his or her legitimate trade in a part of the country other than his own place of origin.
This unsalutary scenario subsists despite the fact that the 1999 constitution (with its amendments) provides adequate legal protection for all citizens of Nigeria against discrimination of any type.
Specifically, Chapter IV, Section 42 (1) of the supreme law of the land clearly states that: “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person, be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of any law in force in Nigeria, or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religion or political opinions are not made subject.”
By domesticating this egalitarian constitutional and moral code, accepting and accommodating all Nigerians resident in Sokoto State as indigenes, Governor Aliyu Sokoto comes out smelling like roses and indisputably glows as a paragon of hope for national unity and a champion of inclusivity.
Tracking back, Governor Ahmed Aliyu had earlier expressed his condolences to the former Governor Bafarawa over the loss of his sister and aide, describing their deaths as great losses not only to Sokoto State but the entire nation. “I was in the Holy land for the lesser Hajj when the sad incidents occurred, which was why I couldn’t come earlier,” a very empathetic Aliyu had explained to his host.
While gracefully thanking Bafarawa for his kind, inspirational words of encouragement, he prayed for Allah to forgive the souls of the departed and grant them the highest places in Paradise.
In a period of uncertainty, there certainly cannot be better capacity and leadership qualities of lighting a candle in the darkness than those deployed by Governor Aliyu in his state.
According to the renowned Austrian-American management sage Peter Drucker, “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.” Governor Aliyu has simply refused to act with yesterday’s logic. This trajectory, has yielded measurable governance results in the state. And former Governor Bafarawa has tacitly recognized this. This pure demonstration of statesmanship.
As it were, valid statesmanship is not earned by self-proclamation but through enduring merit. ‘Statesmanship’ is not a job description despite how much we wish it were. But using the term implies recognition that someone has the character and understanding to exercise certain virtues in political or state affairs. The misunderstanding of this elevated construct ultimately misleads those who wrongly believe they are statesmen.
Bafarawa who governed Sokoto State between 1999 to 2007 has clearly demonstrated statesmanship by recognizing the sterling qualities of leadership of the current youthful Sokoto State governor expressed in his transformative governance – and publicly feting it. In lauding Governor Aliyu’s administrative trajectory and beyond, he has demonstrated what statemen do.
It must however not be forgotten that there is a flipside to Bafarawa’s laudatory recognition of Governor Aliyu’s governance excellence. This recognition imposes even sterner responsibility on the young shoulders of the governor.
Beyond that fact that barely 24 months in the saddle as the state’s chief executive, Governor Aliyu has stamped his authority in human and infrastructural development proceedings in the conservative North-Western enclave by deploying frugal, circumspect, empathetic and inclusive governance nous in administering the state – particularly in a time of multi-faceted turbulence – much more is still expected from him.
The ‘New Sardauna’ of Sokoto, Governor Aliyu, has left nobody in doubt that Sokoto State means business and that under his watch, the conservative northern state will be transformed into a showpiece of a modern state ready to play in the 21st Century.
It could be recalled that Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, made significant contributions to Nigerian politics and education. He served as the first Premier of Northern Nigeria, leading the region towards self-government. He also played a key role in establishing and leading the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), a dominant political party that played a crucial role in Nigeria’s independence movement and subsequent political landscape.
Northern Nigeria gained self-government on 15 March 1957 with Sir Ahmadu Bello as its first premier. Furthermore, he initiated efforts to modernize traditional Koranic education in Northern Nigeria. Sir Ahmadu Bello’s leadership as the first Premier of Northern Nigeria was instrumental in the region’s transition towards self-governance.
He initiated a commission to modernize traditional Koranic education in Northern Nigeria, advocating for the inclusion of secular subjects and creating different classes.
A key part of his educational goals was to establish a school in each province of Northern Nigeria. Bello initiated plans to modernise traditional Koranic education in Northern Nigeria.
Bello’s greatest legacy was the modernization and unification of the diverse people of Northern Nigeria. His personal residence in Kaduna, now called Arewa House (Gidan Arewa), was transformed to a museum and centre for research and historical documentations managed by the Ahmadu Bello University.
Today, from education to infrastructure, Governor Aliyu is indeed following the leadership trajectory codified by the late Sardauna of Sokoto. In a sense, this is a resurrection.
Bafarawa indeed nailed it.
