Sokoto gov’ship: Bafarawa, Wamakko trade blames over peace accord

Two former governors of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa and Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, yesterday engaged in war of words over a purported peace accord ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

Bafarawa, who claimed that he initiated the peace accord to douse tension in the state, is the father of Sagir, the running mate to the PDP governorship candidate, Sa’idu Ubandoma,

Bafarawa said, “We are approaching the governorship election and politicians are turning our state to a battle field with their utterances and activities.

“I observed the situation before calling on the commissioner of Police and the Director of DSS on the need to invite former Governor Wamakko and myself to sign a peace accord in order to allow peace to reign in our state.

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“The two went to see Wammako at his residence and later came back to me. I waited up till 2pm the next day but Wamakko refused to come.

“I don’t know his reason for not coming to sign the peace accord as a leader of APC in the state.”

But in a swift reaction, Wamakko denied any knowledge of the peace accord, describing Bafarawa’s claim as false.

Wamakko, in a short video clip posted on Facebook by his media aide, Bashar Abubakar, said: “I came across one audio clip said to have emanated from Bafarawa in which he was alleging that there was a peace accord which I refused to sign. This is a great lie.

“Even this morning, the commissioner of police and the director of DSS were in my place and they apologised over the purported peace accord that never existed.

“I am the leader of APC in the state, and as such, if there is any peace accord, I will be invited, so also the leader of PDP who is the governor of the state, not Bafarawa.”

Meanwhile, the police and the DSS issued a joint statement dissociating them from the purported peace accord.

The statement which was signed by the spokesman of the police in the state, DSP Sanusi Abubakar, cautioned politicians against dragging the security agents into political issues.