Tobias Sylvester
Former Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Yerima has declared his interest to run for the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ahmed Yerima Declares His Presidential Ambition
The former governor declared for the 2023 presidency on Friday while speaking with journalists after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Yerima caught national attention in 1999 when he introduced the Shari’a legal code as Zamfara Governor, after which several other states in the north followed suit.
He said, said: “I’m sure every Nigerian knows that Mr. President has done his best and today, our challenges are still new developments of insecurity; armed banditry. Boko Haram is gone, but we have new challenges of insecurity, armed banditry and poverty, because of the world economic problems. And there is still a lot of ignorance in our society.
“I have three points as well; to fight insecurity, fight poverty, and ignorance. Some people think that if you say ignorance, you’re talking of only western education, no. Illiteracy is different from ignorance. There are people who are professors, who are well educated in western terms, but they’re ignorant of their society.
“That is why you see people talking about rotational presidency, as if it is an allocation of power. Constitution of Nigeria is very clear, every Nigeria is qualified to contest so long as he reaches age prescribed on different offices.
“So, every Nigerian is qualified so long as he follows the constitutional provisions of this country to contest for any office and aspire to in any office of this country.”
Speaking on perceptions of him as a religious extremist following his decision to enforce Sharia law in Zamfara, Yerima said he did not violate the Nigerian Constitution as he never compelled anyone to abandon their religion to follow Islam.
He said, “On the issue of Sharia, I’m a Muslim and I say everywhere I go, that I am a Muslim and I want to die as a Muslim. Like I said, I’m going to fight the problem of ignorance and this is one of them.
“People don’t know; a lot of people don’t know that the constitution of Nigeria, section 38, has provided for freedom of religion, including the freedom to change your religion if you want to, to practise alone, or in community with others, in private or in public.
“So, as governor of the state, I followed the constitutional provision, prepared a law, sent it to the state assembly and they passed it into law and I implemented what the constitution of Nigeria has given me the powers to do, even in Zamfara state.
“I have never, never required or asked or forced any Christian to follow Islamic faith because I would have done an unconstitutional act.
“So, if I’m elected, by the grace of God, I’m going to be elected under the constitution and I’m going to take an oath to protect and defend the constitution of Nigeria. I will never do anything unconstitutional.”
KanyiDaily recalls that the Nigerian Senate had also received a proposal from a group known as The Muslim Congress {TMC) to introduce and implement Sharia law in the South-West.
