Gani Fawehinmi fought to open Nigeria’s political space — Uba Sani

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Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State says the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi made significant contributions to Nigeria’s democracy by keeping the political space open.

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Sani stated this at the public presentation of a book titled “Gani Fawehinmi and Uba Sani: A Tale of Mentor and Mentee” in Kaduna on Saturday.

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He recalled that Fawehinmi spearheaded the legal struggle against stringent conditions imposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission on political associations seeking registration.

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The governor said many human rights and pro-democracy activists became disillusioned during the period, but Fawehinmi refused to allow frustration to turn into despair.

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He quoted Fawehinmi as urging activists to have faith in the judiciary, the rule of law and democracy, while using democratic processes to defend democracy.

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Sani said Fawehinmi and former Kaduna State governor, Balarabe Musa, subsequently approached the courts to challenge INEC’s position.

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He said the legal battle lasted more than two years before the Court of Appeal delivered judgment in their favour in 2002.

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The governor recalled that INEC appealed the judgment to the Supreme Court, which also ruled in their favour in January 2003.

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According to him, the verdict opened Nigeria’s political space and paved the way for the emergence of more political parties.

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Sani urged Nigerians to remember those who fought for political plurality whenever new parties emerge and citizens exercise their rights to political association.

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He said many Nigerians exercising political freedom today might not know that such freedoms were secured through difficult struggles by people like Fawehinmi.

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“Democracy has a history, and every freedom has a cost,” Sani said.

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The governor urged activists, politicians and academics to periodically remember Nigerians who fought and sacrificed for democracy.

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He described Fawehinmi as not only a fighter for political freedom but also a committed pan-Nigerian who believed in developing every part of the country.

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Sani said the late activist also advocated the empowerment of citizens irrespective of their region, ethnicity, religion or social standing.

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He said education was one of Fawehinmi’s deepest convictions, leading to the establishment of the Gani Fawehinmi Scholarship Foundation.

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The governor recalled that he was entrusted with coordinating the foundation’s scholarship programme in Northern Nigeria.

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Sani said he persuaded Fawehinmi to establish a major scholarship programme for brilliant but indigent university students across Northern Nigeria.

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He said the initiative was necessary because educational deprivation was particularly severe in the region at the time.

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According to him, the programme awarded scholarships to more than 1,000 indigent students across universities in Northern Nigeria.

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He recalled travelling across universities in the region with others to identify deserving beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme.

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Sani said many beneficiaries had become medical doctors, lawyers, academics, engineers and other professionals contributing to national development.

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He recalled that Fawehinmi, at the flag-off of the scholarship scheme 26 years ago at Arewa House, challenged Northern leaders to address educational backwardness.

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He said Fawehinmi warned that failure to tackle educational backwardness could turn it into a monster.

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Sani said the warning remained relevant, noting that many challenges confronting Northern Nigeria were linked directly or indirectly to inadequate human capital investment.

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He described Fawehinmi as one of the most formidable Nigerians of his generation, who placed principle above comfort and justice above personal convenience.

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“He used the law as an instrument of liberation and defended ordinary citizens against arbitrary power,” Sani said.

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He added that Fawehinmi contributed immensely to Nigeria’s struggles for democracy, accountability and human dignity.

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The governor congratulated the book’s author, Mrs Basirat Fawehinmi Biobaku, for preserving a mentorship relationship with wider national significance.

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Sani said the book was not merely about a mentor and mentee but also about courage, democratic struggle, social justice, education and leadership.

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He said it equally highlighted the responsibility of one generation to prepare another for service.

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(NAN)

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