Abdulaziz Yari: The evil that men do…..

The immediate past governor of Zamfara State has continued to occupy the media space since he left office on May 29, unfortunately, not for good. ONYEKACHI EZE examines the genesis of the ex-governor’s problem

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Former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, is fighting the political battle of his life. Unlike some of his former colleagues like Umaru Al-makura (Nasarawa) and Kashim Shettima (Borno), who have retired quietly to the National Assembly as senators, Yari has hordes of officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) trailing his movement.

Though he won a seat in the Senate, Yari lost it as a result of the Supreme Court judgement that nullified the primary elections that produced him and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State on the ground that it ran foul of the Electoral Act.

Consequently, all Yari and other APC candidates, who swept all electoral offices in Zamfara State at the last elections, were painfully made to yield their positions to the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were the runners up in the polls. Since then, the former governor has known no peace.

The forces against him seem to be multiplying. Apart from the EFCC, his own party, the APC appears to have risen against him for the role he played in the loss of Zamfara State to the rival PDP.

On August 4 this year, EFCC operatives raided the Talata-Mafara residence of the former governor in Zamfara State, over what the agency claimed as allegations of economic and financial crimes against Yari.

Tony Orilade, acting spokesman of the commission, said the raid was in connection with ongoing investigation. “What we fight is economic and financial crimes. Whatever allegations we have should be centred around economic and financial crimes,” he explained.

There was also alleged plot by the EFCC and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to seize his assets and freeze his accounts by invoking Executive Order 6. Already, his property in Maitama area of Abuja has been marked and sealed by the anti-graft agency. However, Yari has gone to court to stop the commission.

His lawyer, Mamud Magaji (SAN), has asked Justice Evelyn Maha of Abuja Federal High Court to invoke the powers of the court to direct the EFCC to remove the red inscription pasted in Yari’s house. “We urge your lordship to direct parties to maintain status quo pending the determination of the suit,” Magaji further pleaded.

But the AGF, in a counter affidavit, urged the court to reject the order, because granting it would amount to encouraging corruption. “If this court grants the relief of the applicant, the doors of corruption will thrive and consequently put the corporate existence of Nigeria in jeopardy,” he argued.

The case is still pending before the court, but Justice Maha has directed parties to the case to exercise restraint and refrain from taking steps that would impede the administration of justice as it relates to the suit.

Yari, no doubt, has stepped on some powerful toes and those concerned are determined to even scores.

As Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), a bipartisan umbrella body of the 36 Nigerian state governors, the former Zamfara State governor did not enjoy a cozy relationship with the EFCC.

During the four-year period he ran the affairs of the body, Yari negotiated a number of bailouts from the Federal Government for his colleagues, including the $86.5 million London-Paris Club loan refunds to the governors.

The utilisation of these funds by the governors brought them into confrontation with the anti-corruption agency.

But, Yari, then defended them. According to him, project cost differs from state to state because of their different geographical terrain.

His words: “A project that is done in Rivers for N2 million, in Zamfara, it will be about N150, 000. You cannot say the price of things in Rivers should be the same in Zamfara or somewhere else. The terrain is entirely different, so is the cost and risk, which should be taken into consideration.