House of Representatives

In 2003 Tambuwal stood as a 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).^[11] 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.^[11] But Tambuwal later left the ANPP for the PDP after the ANPP governorship candidate for Sokoto State in the 2007 election, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, did the same.^[12]

Tambuwal held several offices in the House. In 2005 he became the minority leader of the House until he defected to the PDP in 2007. Upon his re-election to the House in 2007 he was also elected the deputy chief whip.^[13] He was also 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 ad hoc House Committee on Constitution Review.^[13] He was also chairman of the ad hoc committee that reviewed the report of the controversial Power Probe Committee, headed by Ndudi Elumelu, who was 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.^[2]

Tambuwal was leader of the Nigerian delegation to the African, Caribbean, Pacific, and European Union Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU), serving as vice-chairman of the ACP-EU Economic Committee at its meeting in Prague, Czech Republic in April 2009.^[10]

On 28 October 2014 Tambuwal formally defected^[14] from the ruling PDP to the opposition APC, and a few days later his security details were withdrawn by the inspector general of police. This move was criticised by Nigerians as being barbaric and undemocratic,^[15] with the legal luminary Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) of the opinion that the police authority had erred in withdrawing Tambuwal's aid since police are not meant to interpret the law.^[15]

Governor of Sokoto State

On 11 April 2015 Tambuwal contested and won the governorship election of Sokoto State, being inaugurated on 29 May 2015.^[10]

On 4 July 2018 Tabuawal dissolved the entire Sokoto State Executive Council,^[16] and on 1 August 2018 he defected from the All Progressives Congress back to the Peoples Democratic Party.^[17] He was reelected as governor of Sokoto State in the March 9 2019 Sokoto State governorship election and 22 March 2019 Sokoto State supplementary election, polling 512,002 votes to his APC rival Aliyu's 511,660 votes.^[18]

Running for president

In October 2018 Tambuwal declared that he was running for president, saying he was forced to seek the highest position in order to "revive the dying economy". His declaration came hours after Senate President Bukola Saraki officially joined the list of 12 candidates in the race for the main opposition PDP nomination,^[19][20][21] a list that included four candidates from the north western region as well as Tambuwal.^[22][23]

Tambuwal was popular in the race, and was among the top four candidates (along with Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Bukola Saraki).^{[24][25][26][27]} He was widely expected to win, with his young age among the contestants, his political experience, and his untainted record from corruption indictments all seen as boosting his chances of winning the primary. Analysts 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.^[28]

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was Tambuwal's main backer for the PDP nomination,^[29][30] reportedly because of his ambition to be the vice presidential candidate should Tambuwal win the PDP nomination.^[31] However, there were complaints by other aspirants that Wike was planning to manipulate the results of the primary to favour Tambuwal, fears stemming from the fact that Wike had overwhelming influence over the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party as he had single-handedly installed its chairman, Uche Secondus. Another fear of manipulation of the primary came from Wike being the biggest financier of the party, and with the primary being conducted in his home state, where he had so much power.^[32] 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, but Wike threatened to polarize the party should the convention venue be moved out of Rivers State.^[33][34][35]

The primary was conducted in the city of Port Harcourt on 6 October 2018, resulting in Tambuwal placing second behind Atiku Abubakar, who won with 1,532 delegate votes to Tambuwal's 693 votes. Bukola Saraki scored 317 and Rabiu Kwankwaso 158 votes.^{[36][37][38][39][40]}

On 8 August 2023 Tambuwal was named the chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing of the 10th senate.^[41]

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.^[46]

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.^[47]

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.^[48]

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.^[49]

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.^{[clarification needed][50]}

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 a 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.