GANI FAWEHINMI FOUGHT TO OPEN NIGERIA’S POLITICAL SPACE — UBA SANI
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has described the late human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, as a key figure whose determination helped keep Nigeria’s political space open.
Sani made the remarks on Saturday at the public presentation of a book titled Gani Fawehinmi and Uba Sani: A Tale of Mentor and Mentee in Kaduna.
The governor recalled that Fawehinmi led the legal battle against stringent conditions introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission for political associations seeking registration as political parties.
According to him, many human rights and pro-democracy activists had become disillusioned with the democratic process at the time, but Fawehinmi encouraged them to remain committed to democracy and the rule of law.
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He said Fawehinmi and former Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, challenged the restrictions in court, with the legal battle lasting more than two years before the Court of Appeal ruled in their favour.
Sani recalled that INEC appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which, in January 2003, also ruled in their favour.
He said the Supreme Court judgment helped open Nigeria’s political space and paved the way for the emergence of more political parties.
“Whenever we celebrate political plurality in Nigeria, whenever new parties emerge and whenever citizens exercise their rights to organise politically, we should remember those who fought to make that space possible,” Sani said.
He urged activists, politicians across political parties and academics to regularly remember Nigerians who fought and made sacrifices for democracy.
The governor described Fawehinmi as not only a champion of political freedom but also a committed nationalist who believed that Nigeria’s progress depended on the development of every part of the country.
Sani also highlighted Fawehinmi’s commitment to education, recalling his role in establishing the Gani Fawehinmi Scholarship Foundation, where he served as the Northern Coordinator.
He said he had persuaded Fawehinmi to establish a major scholarship programme for brilliant but indigent university students in Northern Nigeria, where educational challenges were particularly severe at the time.
According to Sani, the programme awarded scholarships to more than 1,000 students across universities in Northern Nigeria, with many beneficiaries later becoming doctors, lawyers, academics, engineers and other professionals.
He recalled that during the launch of the scholarship scheme at Arewa House, Kaduna, about 26 years ago, Fawehinmi challenged Northern leaders to address the region’s educational crisis.
Sani said the late activist had warned that failure to tackle educational backwardness could turn it into a major problem, adding that the warning remained relevant given the challenges confronting Northern Nigeria.
Describing Fawehinmi as one of the most formidable Nigerians of his generation, Sani said the late activist possessed the courage to place principles above personal comfort and justice above convenience.
He added that Fawehinmi used the law to defend ordinary citizens against arbitrary power and contributed significantly to Nigeria’s struggle for democracy, accountability and human dignity.
Sani congratulated the author of the book, Basirat Fawehinmi-Biobaku, for documenting the relationship between Fawehinmi and himself, saying the story had evolved from a personal mentorship into one with broader national significance.
“This is not simply the story of a mentor and his mentee. It is a story about courage, democratic struggle, social justice, education, leadership and the solemn responsibility of one generation to prepare another for service,” he said.
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