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

File: Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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