But former governor of Kwara State Bukola Saraki or current governor of Sokoto State  Aminu Tambuwal  could run Atiku very close...
	 
    
    
    
    
        
	
	     Sokoto state governor Aminu Tambuwal  designated as one of the party's four leading contenders  denied being involved in the process after he won fewer votes than Saraki and Mohammed...
	 
    
    
    
    
        
	
	      That is bad news for the PDP's top presidential contenders from the north  former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from Adamawa State and Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal...
	 
    
    
    
    
        
	
	     That means the frontrunners will be multi-millionaire and last year's failed candidate Atiku Abubakar or someone close to Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike  who last year backed Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal...
	 
    
    
    
    
        
	
	     Aminu Tambuwal and Nyesom Wike  PDP governors of Sokoto and Rivers states respectively who have an eye on their party's ticket in 2023  didn't help the campaign in Bayelsa...
	 
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	     In Sokoto  incumbent governor Aminu Tambuwal is seeking a second term after failing to win nomination as a presidential candidate (AC Vol 59 No 25  Election bored game)...
	 
    
    
    
    
        
	
	     Although the ruling party has broadly united behind Buhari's candidacy – all the serious challengers  such as Sokoto governor Aminu Tambuwal and the former state governors Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Bukola Saraki (Kwara)  have defected to the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) – there are big political fights at state level...
	 
    
    
    
    
        
	
	      A few hundred turned up for Atiku's launch rally on 3 December in Sokoto where incumbent governor Aminu Tambuwal had been one the leading contenders for the PDP's presidential ticket...
	 
    
    
    
    
        
	
	      However  Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto and former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso have defected to the PDP  and although they probably will not deliver a win for Atiku in their states  they may well keep the APC machine from inflating the numbers and deliver the 25% that Atiku needs  as well as possibly winning gubernatorial races there...
	 
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	      The field is already crowded with other defectors: former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar (1999-2007) is now back in the PDP for a third time  while Aminu Tambuwal  Sokoto Governor  who has also flirted between rival parties  said on 16 August that he was 'under intense pressure from various quarters' to stand for the presidency...