Daily Independent (Lagos)

Nigeria: It’s Satan That is Directing Shinkafi – Sani

AHMED SANI YARIMA is the former Governor of Zamfara State and now a Senator representing Zamfara West Senatorial district. Known across the globe particularly on the issue of Shariah implementation while he was a Governor from 1999 to 2007, the controversial politician has sworn that his former deputy and now the incumbent, Aliyu Shinkafi would see the back of the state government house in 2011. In this interview with reporters, including Reporter, IDRIS SALISU, he gives insight into some burning political issues in the state and the country in general. Excerpt:

Sir, there was this rumour that some PDP supporters formed a delegation under the consent of the state Governor, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi where they met you and sought a request from you to join PDP, assist in making them return for a second term. How true is the speculation?

Yes, actually a delegation from PDP in the state have a contact with me in regard to that request, but I told them I was part and person that formed the ANPP and I will remain in it by the grace of Allah. There is no way I contributed in the forming of that party that made to what I am now politically and then trying to do anti-party, no way. I will not go to PDP and by the grace of God I will remain in ANPP and by his great He will spare our life to see the day we will help them out of office they are occupying now.

Sir, recently, your party ANPP scheduled to commence the sales of nomination form to its members but just of a sudden it was stopped, what really happen to the stoppage of sales of the form?

Well, if you observe, the entire political system in the country has changed with INEC proposed change of election timetable. And again if you observe, even the PDP has suspended everything other than sales of form. So, our party ANPP, has in its recent meeting in Maiduguri decided to postpone everything other than sale of forms too. But I think by next week the sale of the form will commence. We are still waiting for INEC proposal which was submitted to the National Assembly.

But it was learnt that INEC has already released the proposed timetable?

Yes, the INEC proposal, as I told you, has been submitted to the National Assembly and they are still waiting for approval from the National Assembly. You know, Constitution has been amended, which led to the change in the former timetable, and later on INEC with consultation of the presidency decided to change the date. The INEC said it is not possible for them to conduct election in January. In that case they held a meeting with Constitution review committee and Attorney General and agreed with a position that election should be held in April next year. So, the INEC chairman just submitted the proposal, which he released to the press and the National Assembly committee, of which I am a member has endorsed the proposal. But the Constitution has to be amended. The proposal has to be deliberated at the House of Representative and the Senate level and then present to the states Houses of Assembly to amend that particular request of the Constitution before we come back to amend also the Electoral Act.

Now with this development, may we say there will be change in the handing over date from the initial date of 29th May?

No, the initial 29th May of swearing in is there. Therefore, election is expected to be held on April and then swearing in will follow on 29th May, 2011.

There was this report that Governor Shekarau has earlier decided to give his deputy a support ticket for governorship election in 2011, but later changed his mind simply because of the lesson he learnt from you (Yarima) when you handed over power to your deputy and later parted ways. Do you have comment on this?

Well, I was not aware of that. But all the same, I believed that history is written for us to look at what has happened and learn lessons. Anybody who doesn’t read about history does not know what has happened before. You see, in Quran, if you read, Allah gave us lesson of what happened to those before, us so that we can avoid their mistakes. So, I think because Shekarau has read what has happened to me about handing over to my deputy and the consequent follow-ups, that made him to learn lesson and eventually change his mind. The reason why I decided to hand over to my deputy Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi was simple. At least I was with him for eight years without any problem and all the programmes I implemented were planned and implemented with him, and of course we continued with the way and manner we started and I ended. But as I have said, God has the way of doing things and you have to obey what He proclaimed as there is no way to change it. He has gone to another party. Look, if God wanted him to remain in power, God will leave him with those people that help him to be in power. But if God wants him to get him out of office He (God) will leave him with Satan (Devil) and Satan will now direct him instead of God to direct him.

So, Satan directed him to say Yarima is your enemy. Again, let me tell you, up to this moment I am talking, Mahmuda has never succeeded in doing anything that will torch my heart. Even to do something that will pinch my skin to feel a pain even a small one, he can never do it. Mahmuda can never succeed in doing anything that will torch my mind because I am a sound believer in destiny and a sound believer in God. And I believed that everyone of us has to play his role to go to a particular point that God wants us to go. Ibrahim Wakala who now nominated as governorship running mate was the Commissioner for Religious Affairs during my administration and if by God’s grace be a deputy Governor of Zamfara for eight years, Shariah will be in different position in this state Insha Allah.

We learnt that your party ANPP is making consultations with other political parties like DPP and ACN to produce a consensus candidate to challenge PDP in the forthcoming elections. How true is that?

Though I have been out of the country for some time and I have just returned, but I was told that the party leadership have, in their meeting that was conducted in Maiduguri recently, where a committee was constituted led by the party’s National Chairman and mandated him to contact with all stakeholders of political parties in the country and see those he can bring back and those he can have some alliances with them. So, the committee is still working towards that effect and their progress on the move. Presently, there were consultations in Kebbi, Jigawa, Kaduna and other places across the country and I believed fruitful development will be coming out Insha Allah.

Recently, your brother, the Emir of Bakura, was dethroned by the state government and since then no one heard from you, particularly being a blood relation. Many were looking at this as something done in order to hurt you. What is your comment at this moment after a new Emir has already been installed by the government?

You see, my brother became the Emir of Bakura and by his grace he was dethroned. Like he said, he was appointed as Emir, he said during his speech that he will leave the throne in two ways, one either by death or be removed. So, his removal is not by any individual, but an act of God, which is just designed that he has to leave.

Coming back to politics, when you look at the calibre of people from PDP like IBB, Ali Gusau, Atiku and General Buhari from CPC that are out aspiring for Presidency, do you think your party ANPP is ready to face the challenges of those people at polls?

If you are in Zamfara in 1998, can you recall what has happen during elections at that time? Where are those former ministers, former governors, former ambassadors who were in PDP in the state. It is only by the grace of God power is given to people. He so wishes and at that time God the Almighty gave the power of the state to ANPP. Take another example, Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State, when he started his governorship campaign did not have N5 million. And God in his own mercy has shown his power and Shekarau became the Governor of Kano state from 2003 till date. So, in this we have no fear whatsoever whether at national or state level as long as there is God. Our objective is to make sure that we are very close to God, and once you are close to God surely you have no problem. Some people who are in power use to be fraud of been in government and even mention to say they have the power since they have the government forgotten that power came from God. In fact I heard my former brother (Governor Mahmuda Shinkafi), saying that when I was in power in 2003 I was able to remain in power because I am in government. But he has forgotten of what has happen in 1998, was I in government then? No. He said if he has the government nobody can beat him. So, there are so many instances. What happened in Kano, Sokoto and Bauchi states during the 2007 elections? Former Governor Adamu Mu’azu of Bauchi, if you are able to meet him he will tell you that he himself never believed that he would lose in election in 2007 but at the end his candidate lost and he himself lost woefully in the senatorial seat. So, if you said it is not God, your power and money will end up and at the end God will show his power and wisdom over you.

Finally, what message do you have for your supporters in the state who were crying of being intimidating by present government of the day?

Well, we have had several meetings and all the way we have been consoling with them to be patient and bearing with the situation we find ourselves of intimidations from government. You see this struggle is by mistake and because Allah in his infinite mercy and wisdom has created this world and whoever read Quran and knows the Sunna of prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) knew that tomorrow is another person, so that is leadership from God and we have to believe in that. God decides to appoint leaders and He decides to made changes at his wish. God in his power at any time he wanted to do anything He just says be and it be.

So, one of the reason why Insha Allah Abdul’azeez Yari will become the Governor of Zamfara State is for Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi to be what he did, to leave his party ANPP and move to another party PDP and create space for Abdul’azeez Yari. Abdul’azeez Yari was scheduled to be the deputy Governor of Shinkafi before the 2007 general election. He accepted Abdul’azeez and it was announced but suddenly, by an act of God he was dropped and my ankle Muktari Anka was nominated. Therefore both Shinkafi and Muktari became gubernatorial candidate and deputy gubernatorial candidate and eventually became Governor and deputy Governor of Zamfara State. Now, as they left ANPP and joined PDP, by the grace of God we have nominated Abdul’azeez Yari and Malam Ibrahim Wakala to be the flag bearers of ANPP and by the grace of God they will take over the leadership of the state from them Insha Allah.

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