Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
There is palpable tension in the Sokoto State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the dramatic withdrawal of its Sokoto North Senatorial District candidate, Senator Ahmed Muhammad Maccido, from the January bye-election, a move the party chairman, Hon. Hayatu Tafida Aminu, has described as a brazen betrayal.
In a letter dated Monday, 5th October , 2026, the former senator announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy, a development that has sparked anger within the party hierarchy in the state.
Reacting to the development on Tuesday in Sokoto, the state PDP Chairman, Hon. Hayatu Tafida Aminu, described Maccido’s action as a betrayal of the party and its teeming supporters at a time when victory was in sight.
Tafida said the timing of the withdrawal was not only suspicious but also damaging to the party’s preparations, noting that Maccido was the party’s best chance to reclaim the senatorial seat.
According to him, Maccido remains a popular figure in Sokoto North Senatorial District given his pedigree, performance as a former senator and his royal background, which gives him wide acceptability in Sokoto North and Sokoto South.
He explained that Sokoto North and Sokoto South local government areas alone have more voter population than the other six local governments combined in the senatorial district, which naturally puts the PDP candidate in a vantage position.
“Let me tell you, he is popular in Sokoto North and South because he is from the royal family, but he has made a costly mistake by withdrawing now,” the PDP chairman stated.
Tafida further accused the senator of hobnobbing with elements in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who had earlier frustrated him and denied him ticket, forcing him to seek refuge in the PDP.
“He was frustrated in ADC, he ran to us and we gave him our ticket free of charge. Now he is going back to the same people who rejected him. If Senator David Mark and Governor Aminu Tambuwal could not give him ticket, why return to them?” he queried.
He said Maccido has shot himself in the leg politically by missing a golden opportunity handed to him by the PDP, adding that history will judge his action.
Despite the setback, Tafida urged other candidates and supporters of the party not to be discouraged, assuring that the PDP remains strong and will come out victorious in the forthcoming polls.
He disclosed that the state leadership has contacted the party’s legal adviser and the national headquarters in Abuja for guidance on the next line of action as stipulated by the Electoral Act.