Aminu Tambuwal

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Listen^ⓘ; born 10 January 1966) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who has served as senator for Sokoto South since 2023. He served as the governor of Sokoto State from 2015 to 2023. He is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, and served as the 12th speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria from 2011 to 2015.

Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal
Senator for Sokoto South
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 June 2023
Preceded by	Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba
Governor of Sokoto State
In office 29 May 2015 – 29 May 2023
Deputy	Ahmad Aliyu (2015–2018) Manir Dan Iya (2018–2023)
Preceded by	Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko
Succeeded by	Ahmad Aliyu
12th Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria
In office 6 June 2011 – 29 May 2015
Deputy	Chukwuemeka Ihedioha
Preceded by	Dimeji Bankole
Succeeded by	Yakubu Dogara
House Deputy Chief Whip
In office 5 June 2007 – 6 June 2011
Member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria from Sokoto
In office 3 June 2003 – 29 May 2015
Preceded by	Hon. Sanyinna Aliyu Umar
Succeeded by	Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki
Constituency	Tambuwal/Kebbe
Personal details
Born	(1966-01-10) 10 January 1966 Tambuwal, Northern Region, Nigeria (now in Sokoto State)
Party	African Democratic Congress (2026–present)
Other political affiliations	All Nigeria Peoples Party (2003–2007) Peoples Democratic Party (2007–2014) Peoples Democratic Party (2014–2018) Peoples Democratic Party (2018–2026)
Spouse(s)	Mariya Aminu Waziri Maryam Mairo Mustapha
Education	Usman Danfodio University (LL.B.)
Occupation	Politician lawyer

Tambuwal represented the Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency of Sokoto State as an honorable member in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2015.

Early life and education

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was born on 10 January 1966, in Tambuwal Village in Sokoto State, to Fatima and Waziri Tambuwal.

He attended Tambuwal Primary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto State, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1979; and Government Teachers' College, Dogon-Daji, where he obtained the Teachers Grade II Certificate in 1984.

He then went to Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, where he studied Law, graduating with an LLB (Hons) degree in 1991. He completed his one-year compulsory legal studies at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, obtained his BL and was called to the Bar in 1992.

He attended several courses abroad, including Telecoms Regulatory Master Class–Bath UK, 2004; Lawmaking for the Communications Sectors –BMIT, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2004; Regulating a Competitive Industry-UK, Brussels, 2005; Tulane University – International Legislative Drafting, 2005; Stanford Graduate School of Business – Influence and Negotiation, 2008 and KSG Harvard – Infrastructure in Market Economy.

Political career

Tambuwal started learning the legislative system from 1999 to 2000, while working as personal assistant on Legislative Affairs to Senator Abdullahi Wali, the then Senate leader.

In 2003, Tambuwal contested for a legislative seat as representative of the Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency, and was elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

A few months before the 2007 general elections, he defected to the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), alongside the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa. However, when the DPP denied return tickets to former ANPP legislators, Tambuwal swung back to the ANPP, where he eventually succeeded in picking up a ticket for the election.

When the ANPP governorship candidate for Sokoto State in the 2007 election, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko left the party for the PDP, Tambuwal did as well.

Tambuwal held several offices in the House. In 2005, he became the minority leader of the House, until he defected to the PDP. Upon his re-election to the House in 2007, he was also elected the deputy chief whip.

Tambuwal was a member of several committees including the House Committees on Rules & Business, Communications, Judiciary, Inter-Parliamentary and Water Resources. He was also a member of the House ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review.

He was chairman of the ad hoc committee that reviewed the report of the controversial power probe committee headed by Ndudi Elumelu, chairman of the House Sub-Committee on the Bill for an Act to Amend the Land Use Act, and acting chairman of the House Committee on Power.

He was leader of the Nigerian delegation to African, Caribbean, Pacific & European Union Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU). He served as vice-chairman of the Economic Committee ACP-EU, held in Prague, Czech Republic in April 2009.

On 28 October 2014, Tambuwal formally defected from the ruling PDP to the opposition APC. A few days later his security details were withdrawn by the inspector general of police, a move that was criticised by Nigerians as being barbaric and undemocratic.

The legal luminary, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), was of the opinion that the police authority had erred in withdrawing Tambuwal's aid, as police are not meant to interpret and apply the law.

On 11 April 2015, Tambuwal contested and won the governorship election of Sokoto State. He was inaugurated on 29 May 2015.

On 4 July 2018, Tabuawal dissolved the entire State Executive Council.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with Sultan Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar, and Governor of Sokoto Aminu Waziri Tambuwai at the Sultan's Palace in Sokoto, Nigeria, on 23 August 2016, before the secretary held meetings with religious leaders and delivered a speech about countering violent extremism.

On 1 August 2018, Tambuwal defected from the All Progressives Congress back to the Peoples Democratic Party. In the March 9 2019 Sokoto State gubernatorial election and 22 March 2019, Sokoto State supplementary election, Tambuwal was reelected as governor of Sokoto State, having polled 512,002 votes, while his rival, Aliyu of the All Progressive Congress, polled 511,660 votes.

In October 2018, Tambuwal declared that he was running for president. He said he was forced to seek the highest position to "revive the dying economy". His declaration came hours after Senate President Bukola Saraki officially joined the race for the nomination of the main opposition's PDP. Tambuwal was one of the long list of 12 candidates, including four from his north western region, who contested the PDP presidential nomination.

Tambuwal was popular in the race, and was among the top four candidates (along with Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Bukola Saraki), and was widely expected to win. A number of factors, including his young age among the contestants, his political experience, and his untainted records from corruption indictments boosted his chances going into the primary. Analysts had predicted that should Tambuwal clinch the PDP ticket, he would be a formidable challenge to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, a northern Muslim who was running for reelection.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was Tambuwal's main backer for the PDP nomination. There were reports that Governor Wike's support for Tambuwal was for his ambition to be Tambuwal's vice presidential candidate, should he win the PDP nomination. However, there were complaints by other aspirants that Wike was planning to manipulate the results of the primary to favour Tambuwal. Their fears stemmed from the fact that Wike had overwhelming influence over the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, having single-handedly installed its chairman, Uche Secondus. Another factor that heightened the fear of manipulation of the primary was that Wike was the biggest financier of the party, and the primary would be conducted in his state, where he has so much power. Some presidential aspirants asked the National Working Committee of the party to move the convention from Port Harcourt to a neutral location where Wike would not have so much much influence. Wike threatened to polarize the party should the convention venue be moved out of Rivers State.

Tambuwal placed in second position, with 693 delegate votes, behind Atiku Abubakar, who won with 1,532 votes in the primary conducted in the city of Port Harcourt on 6 October 2018. Bukola Saraki scored 317 and Rabiu Kwankwaso 158 votes.

Tambuwal was named the chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing of the 10th senate on 8 August 2023.

Corruption allegations and misconduct

On 26 September 2015, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) challenged the power of Tambuwal for pardoning five defendants including a serving commissioner in his cabinet and former governor of Sokoto State Attahiru Bafaraw, for an alleged 15 billion naira fraud.

On 2 April 2022, the EFCC revealed that Tambuwal had looted 189 billion naira in six years diverted the state owned account to private individuals account. EFCC revealed that the money was diverted to the accounts of Abubakar Mohammed Barau, Abubakar Bello Gandi, Buba S Sambo and others.

On 18 September 2025, Sokoto State government alleged that Tambuwal's administration did not account for 16.1 billion naira shares sold through the Sokoto Investment Company.

Major achievements as governor

After being sworn in as governor, Tambuwal took to the task of sanitising the government of Sokoto State. He sought to streamline government processes and protocols and to recover lost and/or stolen government properties including monies. He also launched an exercise to rid the Sokoto State civil service of ghost workers.

As governor, Tambuwal met a Sokoto State that had been poorly managed. Over 1.1 million children were reported to be out of school, jobless youths roamed the street, the hospital was non-functional, and local government areas that had totally collapsed, while the former governor and his cohort fed their greed and perfidy. Tambuwal set a committee task force for the recovery of lost and stolen government properties and monies. A committee populated by persons from across party lines. The committee task force was able to discover and recover billions of naira to the state, monies that the governor put to work immediately on infrastructure such as roads, international standards, schools, water treatment plants, hospital upgrades and refurbishment, agriculture and farming, power and Water supply to rural communities, and other critical sectors of the state.

Revamping healthcare

The Tambuwal administration launched a major campaign to revamp and upgrade the healthcare delivery system in the state. It began with healthcare infrastructure. Within the first five years, 250 primary healthcare centers were constructed, renovated, upgraded and fully equipped across the rural communities during those years. The Tambuwal administration constructed, renovated, upgraded, and fully equipped Sokoto State University Teaching Hospital, Kasarawa, and Premier Hospital in Tambuwal Local Government Area. He also constructed general hospitals in three Ssnatorial zones and an advanced medical diagnostic and imaging center in Farufaru, Wamako Local Government Area. Under Tambuwal's health intervention Initiative, about six hundred (600) surgeries and over 4000 other medical cases were sponsored.

Revolution in road construction

In his eight years as the governor of Sokoto State, Tambuwal constructed over 100 kilometres and has already completed the process of constructing more roads and flyovers in the rural communities and farmlands areas. A 12 kilometres dual carriage road in Wamako local Government Area was built. Two flyovers were conceived to decongest traffic within the city, one at Dandima roundabout in Sokoto North Local Government Area and the other at Runjin Sambo in Sokoto south Local Government Area. The Tambuwal administration constructed a 50 kilometres road linking the three communities of Illela Huda, Gare and Gidan Mata.

Government through empowerment programmes

The Tambuwal administration launched the most successful and sustainable empowerment programs in the history of Sokoto State. These included Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) intervention programmes, on which Sokoto State Government spent over 5 billion. Tambuwal witnessed the graduation of 1,700 youths, male and female, trained by the state government on skills acquisition. 100 commercial buses were distributed across the state 23 LGAs. A micro grant scheme was funded with 300 million.

Upgrading education

Tambuwal values education, especially for girls. He views girls' education as a right owed by the state government. His administration increased the state budgetary allocation to the education sector. He also created an agency which focuses on getting more girls into school by engaging with their parents and communities on the importance of educating girls. Tambuwal's administration declared a state of emergency on the state education sector in December 2015. He renovated schools in each LGA. He built two junior secondary schools in all 23 LGAs. He renovated 1500 primary schools and 180 junior secondary schools. The Tambuwal administration moved Shehu Shagari College of Education to University of Education. Tambuwal established a school of nursing and midwifery in Kware LGA. His government has spent a lot on education, and has approved payment of NECO and NABTEB exams fees for all the 23,000 SS3 students of the government senior secondary Schools along the state.

Farming

The Tambuwal administration also prioritised agriculture. Within five years, it procured over 10,000 metric tons of fertilisers for Sokoto State farmers. The administration distributed 120 Massey Ferguson tractors to farmers across the 23 LGAs. The Sokoto State with the intervention of World Bank has empowered 3500 people in the Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS). The Tambuwal administration completed the state inherited Independent Power Project (IPP) at Kalambaina. He also constructed Gidan Salanke Housing Estate, College of Agricultural, Wurno. The Tambuwal administration has secured 4 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention fund for 16,000 rice and tomato farmers. Dangote Rice Mill and Morocco Fertilisers Blending Plant at Kware and Kalambaina areas in the state.

Security

The Sokoto State Government has over time ensured that the security sector in the established accountable security institutions which transparently supply security as a public good. This has led Sokoto State to have a peaceful atmosphere as a result of synergy between all the military deployed to the state. This has reduced previously endemic crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, and armed robbery. The Tambuwal administration has tackled security challenges in the state through the establishment of ta enancy regulatory commission and by providing security agencies with the logistics, vehicles and their allowances to look after their welfare. Tambuwal provided more than 500 vehicles to security personnel in Sokoto State.

Awards and recognition

• African Union Economic and Social Council Award
• African Confers Governance Awards
• Silverbird's 2019 Man of the Year Award
• World Bank Award of Excellence
• Best performing Governor in education in Nigeria
• Governor of the year Award
• Honorary Doctor of laws from Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, 2012
• Honorary Doctor of law from Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, 2019
• Honorary Doctorate Degree by the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Owo, Ondo State, 2013
• Honorary Doctor of public Administration from Godfrey Okoye Catholic University Enugu
• Sokoto State Government merit Award, 2012
• Prize la Foundation 2013 by Crans Montana forum on Africa & South-South Cooperation

Honours and titles

• I kyar 1 Tiv
• Osagie of Opoji kingdom, Edo State
• Obong Ufam of Akwa-Ibom State
• Udonyi Oro of Oron, Akwa-Ibom State
• Bobagunwa of Ilawe, Ekiti State
• Aridunnu of Ijero kingdom, Ekiti State
• Ikeoha of Obingwa, Abia State
• Danmajen Zuru, Kebbi State
• Garkuwan Lafiagi, Kwara State
• Maidawakin Gashaka, Taraba State
• Matawallen Sokoto

Professional affiliations

Among his professional affiliations, Tambuwal has been an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over the years.

• Member, Nigerian Bar Association
• Public relations officer, Nigerian Bar Association (1996–1997)
• Member, Constitution Review Committee, Nigerian Bar Association (1997–1998)
• Sokoto branch secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (1997–1998)
• Assistant national financial secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (1998–2000)
• First assistant national secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (2000–2002)
• Member, Body of Benchers Nigeria
• Member, International Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association