Sharia Information and Documentation Project (SIDOP)

SIDOP BULLETIN No. 1, July 2003

Governor Shekarau's Electoral Victory

Against all odds, in spite of the advantage of incumbency and the deployment of enormous resources towards fighting the election campaign, the people of Kano State voted Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso out of office in April 2003; replacing him with Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau. Until May 2000, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau was a senior Permanent Secretary in the government of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. He has served in various Ministries and government agencies in the state. His last post as Permanent Secretary was to the Civil Service Commission. The circumstances that led to him leaving the service of the state government had to do with his perceived 'pro-Sharia' activities. At the peak of the Sharia agitation by civil society in the state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau chaired a public lecture organized by pro-Sharia groups in Kano state against the government's perceived complacency or foot dragging on Sharia implementation. Mallam Shekarau was subsequently removed from his post as Permanent Secretary because of what the government termed as behavior unbecoming of a senior public servant. Thereafter he requested to be reassigned to the classroom since according to him "he could not be allowed to exercise his civic right". He was subsequently reassigned to teach mathematics at Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies.

Mallam Shekarau's stay at the college was not to last long as his fortunes are said to have changed when he met Alhaji Aminu Dantata a top businessman and member of the famous Dantata business family in Kano. Mallam Shekarau retired from the state service on 2nd October, 2001 where upon he was appointed to a management position at the Dantata's Company. Mallam Shekarau, however, did not stay long with Dantata's company. Barely one year after joining the company he resigned and joined the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) seeking the party's mandate to run as its gubernatorial candidate for Kano State.

Although several factors contributed to Governor Shekarau's election victory over Kwankwaso, two factors proved to be decisive. One was was the so-called Buhari factor. When it became apparent that General Buhari was generating substantial support in Kano State, part of ANPP's campaign strategy was to put out the slogan - "ANPP SAK". At a rally in Kano State, this was explained by the General to mean that he cannot deliver campaign promises alone; he needed the support of ANPP Governors, Senators and Legislators in the states that supported him. The second factor contributing to Mallam Shekarau election victory was simply that he was viewed as an honest and God-fearing man dedicated to community service. His removal as Permanent Secretary and his reassignment to the classroom portrayed him as a victim, further endearing him to the people of Kano State. Moreover, Governor Shekarau was seen as being pro-Sharia while Kwankwaso was viewed as a reluctant supporter of Sharia.

Civil Society Call for Sharia in Kano State

Given the wider perception of Governor Shekarau as pro-Sharia, his election into office raised substantial expectations from religious civil society groups and gave fillip to their advocacy for the full implementation of Sharia. For some groups the call for the full implementation of Sharia was articulated in terms of meeting the social welfare needs of society's weak and vulnerable while for others implementation meant enforcement of criminal codes.

In a real sense, the welfare perspectives appears most pervasive as groups such as the Committee for Muslim Women Independent Mobilization for Islamic Legal System advocate for a special office for divorcees, widows and orphans to enable government assist them fully.

In addition, when paying a courtesy call on the Governor-elect to congratulate him on his election victory, the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) led by Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, advised the then Governor-elect to "ensure that within the first 100 days of his administration areas such as Sharia, security, water, schools, hospitals, agriculture and industries were accorded the needed attention" (Triumph, April, 29/2003:1). In his response, Governor-elect Shekarau assured the Council that; "Sharia will be fully implemented in the state" adding that, "a blue-print on the governance of the state is being mapped out; government will be guided by transparency, sincerity and accountability" (ibid:12).

In their weekly paper, called At-Tajdid, the Jama'a At-Tajdidul Islam group devoted the center page of their publication of May 16, 2003 to reproducing interviews granted by governor-elect Shekarau to the correspondent of Voice of America (VOA) Hausa service. The association justified its extensive coverage of the interviews with the explanation that it intends to use the interview to hold Shekarau to his promises most especially promises regarding the full implementation of Sharia. The paper carried banner headlines titled "As is expected, Mallam Shekarau the governor-elect of Kano has promised to implement Sharia fully when he assumes office".

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