IT a two-horse race in Sokoto State between Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ambassador Abdullahi Wali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite the fact that about nine political parties are participating in today’s governorship and state House of Assembly election.

Although some political analysts see the contest as between the two major parties’ flag bearers as one family affair, in view of the fact that Tambuwal is married to one of the Wali’s sisters, Mariya, “same father, same mother.”

Also, unlike in many states where the issue of zoning doesn’t much work, for Sokoto, both two major political parties picked their candidates from Sokoto South senatorial district, a zone that was considered by all parties as being marginalised since after the return of democracy, indeed from the same council of Tambuwal.

Former governor of the state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, who served for eight years, hails from Sokoto East, while Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, is from Sokoto Central.

One very interesting thing about this election, particularly between the two candidates, is that it was Wali that introduced Tambuwal to national politics in 1999 when he brought him all the way from Sokoto to Abuja, when he (Wali) was a senator and senate leader, by appointing Tambuwal as his senior legislative assistant.

Wamakko, who is the senator-elect for Sokoto Central under the platform of APC, has been strongly in support of Tambuwal as his successor, following his independent survey in search of someone that would continue with his programmes at the end of his tenure on May 29.

Wamakko believes Tambuwal has good leadership qualities, charisma, humility and the war chest to win the election based on his performance at the National Assembly and his popularity.

And since Wamakko enjoys significant support for his performance and conduct, Tambuwal’s assurance that he would continue with his laudable people-oriented policies and programme, according to observers, would also win more support for him than any PDP governorship candidate, who could reverse the trend the people and various personality across the state have applauded.

The support enjoined by the APC candidate from the incumbent governor, who is one of the architect and pillars of APC, has been considered a great asset for Tambuwal’s chances in winning today’s election.

Wamakko is widely regarded as a grassroots politician in the state and has the support of the traditional rulers across the 23 councils.

In fact, it is believed in some quarters that Tambuwal would rely heavily on Wamakko’s structures across the 23 councils to win.

Similarly, the APC candidate would be riding on the election of Buhari to emerge victorious. Recently, local radio stations have been frequently airing Buhari’s political Hausa audio announcement calling on all Nigerians to vote for APC state candidates to make his task easier.

This development, on daily basis, has weakened the popularity of PDP candidates across some northern states, including Sokoto.

Before the presidential election, both APC and PDP matched each other’s strength in Sokoto and this is why many fear the outbreak of skirmishes, as none of the parties might want to concede victory easily.

Followers of the two major political parties are so large that one could hardly say with certainty, which party is bigger, in terms of followership, but the fact remains that APC is in charge of the state, having the governor, while his deputy, Muktar Shagari, is of the PDP.

Political analysts see today’s governorship election as a proxy battle between Wamakko of APC and Bafarawa of the PDP. The recent nine-kilometre walking thank-you visit Wamakko to various houses and business centres in Sokoto metropolis over his victory as senator-elect has increased the support enjoyed by the party from Sokoto electorate.

Wali is very famous in the state, having contested in 2003 against his present mentor, Bafarawa, but lost. He will enjoy his grassroots contacts and Bafarawa structures to defeat Tambuwal today.

However, it is Sokoto electorate that would determine who gets their mandate to govern the state for the next four years.