By Hon. Chris Okike
It’s only as we develop others that we permanently succeed – Harvey Firestone
My spirit is fired by the level of accomplishments of the Patriot/nationalist that I hereby describes Sen. Aminu Waziri tambuwal as a living legend which accrued from hard work and not magic or happenstance.
Aminu Waziri tambuwal as widely acknowledge is an extremely detribalized Nigerian. He does not discriminate on account of class, religions, education or region. With his legislative experience as formal speaker of the House of Representative in the 7th Assembly he has been working harmoniously with other arms of government and his colleagues to effectively harness the unique skills and
abilities, personal qualities and motivation of all Nigerians to unleash the creative and productive energies to make this country great, and consequently the democratization process will be deepened and government policies and programme strengthened. It was a common knowledge that while he was the speaker of house
of representative in the 7th assembly he demonstrated admirable wisdom and remarkable leadership in handling the delicate and turbulent period in the green
chamber.
Typical examples of his remarkable leadership credentials was the way and manner he handled the aftermath of the rancor of the campaign that characterized
his election as speaker of the House of representative. Aminu Waziri supervised a very successful House devoid of ethnic or tribal
sentiment and controversies.
AminuTambuwal had an unquenchable and convincing knack for independence of the legislature. He desires a robust and independent legislature in a presidential systems of government. He is equally an advocate of a mutual and
harmonious relationship between and among other arms of government.
This gave vent and conviction for his avowed admiration for the legislature; as a result of which, he contested to represent the Kebbe/tambuwal federal
constituency of Sokoto state in 2003 on the platforms of the all Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and won convincingly in the elections. Owing to his evident and convincing administrative and intellectual acumen; he was overwhelmingly elected as the minority leader of the house in 2004.
As the opposition Leader, he rallied and mobilized his colleagues into the strongest opposition movement unprecedented in the history of the house. His leadership qualities was widely acknowledge as equal to non among his colleagues.
Aminu tambuwal having emerged as a household name in Kebbe/tambuwal
Federal Constituency and after a wide range of consultation with the critical stakeholders and opinion leaders decamped to the ruling party then – PDP. He contested elections again and was overwhelmingly and convincingly re-elected.
Now, as the member of the ruling party, he was unequivocally and promptly elected as a principal officer of the House – THE CHIEF WHIP. His superlative performance in the office propelled his people to again re-elect him to represent them in 2011. At this point, he had become one of the most experienced and ranking member of the House.
In the Assembly then, Aminu Tambuwal’ s name had become synonymous with the House of Representative owing to his many admirable qualities and contributions to debates.
Aminu Tambuwal famed political sagacity, deep knowledge, served as vital stabilizer as well as strengthened the legislative agenda/activities of the House.
Consequently, his convincing knowledge of the rules and procedures of the house
had made him an assets to his colleagues. Many of us who have been monitoring his political trajectory were not surprised that when it was time to elect the Speaker of the House, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s name was ringing like a sonorous bell.
He was consequently elected as the Speaker of the 7th Assembly irrespective of the rancorous campaign that characterized the election process, and the subtle
positions of his emergence by his own party.
After a Successful and impactful sojourn at the National Assembly, his Sokoto political stakeholders beckoned on him to contest the governorship of the state, which he humbly obliged. He contested for the governorship of Sokoto state and won.
His tenure as the Executive Governor of Sokoto state, stands as shining examples of visionary governance and selfless dedication to the welfare of the people. Under his leadership, Sokoto state experienced unprecedented growth and development, with transformative policies, programme and initiatives that continue to impact lives positively.
His legacy is one of integrity, compassion and progress. His tireless efforts and improvement on several sectors have left an indelible mark on the state and her
citizens. His leadership have inspired numerous indigenes of the state to strive for excellence and to serve their communities with passion and dedication.
His leadership philosophy which is widely acknowledged is that – a leader who wants to achieve results must be visionary, must demonstrate a high degree of
rational judgment, and maintain a high sense of responsibility to the people, like the good Shepherd, he must be trustworthy, lead by examples and forsake all personal interests for common good. This philosophy have made him very popular and admirable even as he currently serve as a Senator representing Sokoto-South
in the National Assembly.
Aminu Tambuwal is a highly detribalized Nigeria, he does not discriminate on the ground of tribe, religion or class. He was trained as a lawyer at Uthman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. His desire to change the society, create and enhance a just and egalitarian society prompted him to study law at the Uthman Danfodiyo University Sokoto and consistently led him to represent his people at the National Assembly.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (AWT) as fondly called by admirers and
associates, is no doubt a pillar of strength in our collective quest for national cohesion. By combinations of a rare level headedness and unrepentant nationalist and patriotic disposition, Aminu tambuwal unarguably is one of those whose conduct has made it possible for Nigeria to, for the first time in our history sustain 18 unbroken years of democracy.
*Hon. Okike, media consultant, is the Executive Chairman, Global Network for Youth Empowerment and Equal Justice. 0803626087
