Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima, a former governor of Zamfara State and two-term senator, has said neither President Muhammadu Buhari nor the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, own Nigeria.
Senator Yerima who is well known for introduction of the Sharia legal system in Zamfara State during his time as governor in 1999, said in response to a question in an interview with Daily Trust, that President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu are free to make deals and even sign it with pens made of gold, but that does not mean they own the country.
When asked on insinuations that President Buhari signed a pact with the National Leader of your party (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to hand over to him in 2023.l, the former Zamfara State governor replied, "I don’t think Nigeria belongs to any of them and I don’t think anyone in any position can determine what Nigeria should have.
He continued, "Politics is about election – for people to decide what they want. So it is the majority of the people that will determine who they want.
"If he signed an agreement with Asiwaju, that agreement cannot be implemented even in getting the ticket. It cannot guarantee Asiwaju a ticket.
"For example, the president has announced and the party has decided that our primary is going to be direct – just like we elected Mr. President during the primaries of the last general elections. Will he direct everybody to go and vote for Asiwaju?
"Because, I believe it is going to be a free and fair election, agreement or no agreement is a political statement, but I don’t think that is possible because I don’t think that the Buhari that I know will sign any (such) agreement.
"He knows that he doesn’t have the powers and the authority to hand over power to whomever he so wishes. He said it is going to be free and fair; in fact, he even said it in the open that he doesn’t have any candidate. So, these are just speculations."
The ex governor also said that the national assembly is a retirement home for governors who have served their terms in office.
Responding to questions on whether or not the National Assembly should be regarded as a retirement home for past governors, he said, "It is supposed to be so, just like the upper house of parliament in the UK and the senate in the US.
"As a governor, you are virtually working 24 hours with very few hours to rest and sleep, but in the senate, you go by 10 to 11am and by 2pm you are back home. So, law making cannot be compared with the executive assignment of governance."
