A A Zaura’s Case: In Whose Interest?

By Engr Kabiru Ibrahim Dambazau

Five months ago, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN had urged Nigerian courts to “stop imposing politicians on Nigerians,” arguing that, “The involvement of the courts in the electoral process has not been favourable to the country’s democracy.”

According Falana, “This involvement has been forced by the neglect of its duties by the INEC, the arbitrariness and impunity of some of the members of the Executive, and the corrupt activities of political parties.”

Nothing describes the above summation by Elder Falana like the case of APC Kano Central Senatorial candidate, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Saleh, popularly known as A. A. Zaura.

This is a man who has won his court case and has won the primaries and clinched the Kano Central Senatorial ticket of his party, the APC, and yet just because of politics and some people who want to fight against his bid, they have resorted to using the court and a govt agency to fight a political will of the people.

It will be recalled that, not too long ago, A Federal High Court sitting in Kano discharged and acquitted A A Zaura. The court presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa said the prosecution, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubts.

The Judge, Lewis-Allagoa said the failure of the EFCC to call the nominal complainant, Al-Azmi to appear before the court to give evidence over what transpired between him and the first defendant rendered all the testimonies by the prosecution witnesses (2) null.

He maintained that the prosecution was based on speculation as they (EFCC) could not provide ingredients to link or establish criminal evidence against the defendant hence the courts decided to discharged and acquitted the first defendant.

The court however dismissed the nine-count charges against the first defendant, A. A. Zaura.

The second defendant, Edosa was also said to have been earlier discharged when he pleaded for no-case submission during the cause of trial.

Do for crying out loud, what is the ground for appeal and reopening of this case, if not political machinations to deny the good people of Kano their basic democratic rights of electing who they want into office come 2023.

Some analysis and historians see politics as a dirty game. This is as a result of the blackmail, kidnapping, and killings of political opponents and other negative activities of politicians. The activities of this category of people therefore make politics a dirty game. These are the kind of politicians fighting the will of Kano Central people.

In contrast, there are a good number of people, decent people who are in politics to improve the lot of their people. They are not in politics to make money and do not see it as a do or die affair. They are selfless, humane and have nothing but the interest of the people at heart. A A Zaura is such politician.

A A Zaura is in politics to serve Allah and humanity. How is that possible in our environment you may ask? Well, the answer is in both his antecedents and precedents. With him, politics is not a dirty game, those who play it unwholesomely are. 

For over a decade and half, Zaura has continuously serve the good people of Kano with his hard earned money. He has built schools, hospitals, vocational centres, police stations and local security outlets, as well as lots and lots of women and you empowerments and social and family donations to millions of families in Kano.

A whole newspaper won’t be enough to highlight how much A A Zaura has contributed to the development of Kano and Kano people and yet out of selfish interest and cruelty some politicians have choosen to fight the candidacy of this illustrious son of Kano to continue to deliver the good of democracy in the Senate come 2023.

Their believe and hopes are that if they keep pushing this court case and eventually something bad (Allah forbids) happen, it will be in their interest and the ticket will be given to them but they should know that, as they plan, Allah also plans and Allah is the best of planners.

A word is enough for the wise.

Dambazau wrote in from Kano and can be reached at dambazaukbr@gmail.com