Date Published: 12/06/10

Rejoinder: DPP’s Un-Islamic Quest For Power In Sokoto

From Yusuf Dingyadi,

As bonafide citizen of Sokoto State, I read with amusement the write up by one Sani Umar in some newspapers last week titled ‘DPP’s Un-Islamic quest for power in Sokoto’ describing the DPP’s suit which was recently dispensed with by the Supreme Court and its quest to seek for justice as un-Islamic.

Umar’s thesis could have been left unchallenged as an attestation of his right to freedom of opinion but for the fact that the whole write-up was deeply steeped in factual inaccuracies and fallacies which might mislead the public.

One wonders what is his motivation for writing this article, despite the fact that his Principal narrowly escaped being removed from office like his counterpart in Ekiti and Osun states, who were thrown out recently by the appellate court.

It is indeed ironic that while Governor Wamakko, shortly after the Supreme Court verdict in Abuja dismissed DPP candidate’s appeal had sought the opposition to join   with his administration to move Sokoto state forward. In fact, Wamakko had last week while addressing his supporters at the Government House Sokoto, appealed  to the opposition, DPPb inclusive, to sheath their swords and lend support to his administration to move the state forward, saying it is now end to all forms of altercation and media war bas the apex court had given his final verdict.

However, I was indeed taken aback, when I read it as written by his Media Aide, Mohammed Sani Umar, ridiculing the DPP over its quest to wrestle power from his principal (Wamakko).

The whole write up smacked of religion ignorance and total misconception about the stand of religion of Islam in matters that he has no knowledge. It is indeed ridiculous and mischievous for a candidate’s quest for justice and equity to be tagged as Un-Islamic,

I still don’t understand where and how Umar got his Islamic point of view on this issue, more especially as he failed to bring any substantial reasons from quoting Islamic authority or any fatwa over such important matter.

In fact, it is unfathomable how DPP’s quest to regain its allegedly stolen a mandate could be misunderstood by some misguided fellows like Umar and his co-travelers.

Hear him “The question that is being asked in the state now is whether these men are truly Muslims.  A good Muslim believes that power belong to Allah. He gives and takes. When one tries to gain power and it slips, there should be repositioning for another opportunity” The victorious persons must have been ordained by Allah to govern at that particular period. Therefore, whoever engages in endless struggle against the victor is fighting against Allah’s ordination. The vendetta of rampage of DPP only heats up the polity unnecessarily”

I am a Muslim and in as much as it is well known fact that it is only God that gives power to whomever he wishes, I wonder where DPP has erred by seeking for Justice at the appeal court.

If a man feels that his mandate was allegedly stolen by rampaging buccaneers masquerading as leaders in Sokoto state, is it not foolhardy to keep quiet and allow the human locusts to continue to occupy office unjustly. Is there any justification for the wise to keep quite in the midst of injustice and sheer day light robbery.

The question I want to ask Umar is, is the new Governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola not a Muslim. In fact, as a muslim, Aregbesola fought a gallant fight and won at the appeal court after over three years of litigation. Will Aregbesola’s action be tagged UnIslamic or will he be described as a bad a bad Muslim for seeking his mandate and justice. So, for Umar and his cohorts, the right for an aggrieved Muslim to seek for Justice is tagged UnIslamic.

The Supreme Court verdict of last Friday has been described by prominent Jurists and lawyers as an erroneous Judgment. In an appeal reference to the electoral act which makes the Court of appeal the final court of jurisdiction on disputes arising from Governorship elections, the ruling of the apex court was described last week by former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba as a “Ruling in error” on the part of the Supreme Court.

In, fact Agbakoba wondered why the Supreme Court should dismiss the appeal in the appellate court when its jurisdiction to hear the case was already in question according to him, the issue that had been brought before the apex court was procedural in nature and not substantive to the issue that were being contested by the parties at the Sokoto Appeal Court.

For the first in history, the Supreme Court arrested the judgment of an appellate court, thereby stopping it from delivering judgment. Many prominent Lawyers in the country had questioned the verdict, stressing that the Supreme Court ordinarily should not have exercised jurisdiction in a matter that was not before it.

Many public analysts and commentators across the country have condemned the Apex Court Verdict.

Even the Editor of Thisday Newspaper, Simon Kolawale had in his Write-up shortly after the Supreme Court ruling described it as “Supreme Court abracadabra” Kolawale opined that the decision of the Supreme Court to dismiss a case at the Court of Appeal is one of the most curious judgments there will ever be. Hear him “The Appeal Court verdict was “arrested” from being delivered because of the useless interlocutory appeal, after months of drama, the Supreme Court on Friday finally stopped the appeal Court from delivering the judgment because of abuse of court process. Supreme Court has just dismissed a case that is not before it and on which it has no jurisdiction”

We are indeed not unaware that the Wamakko administration has failed woefully in meeting the yearnings of the people. Even the governor admitted with his failure in providing good governance and social services to the state when recently he voiced out that distractions by the opposition has made him unable to meet up with campaign promises made to the electorate in 2007, so, I wonder where are the projects scattered across all nooks and crannies of the state that Sani Umar has alluded to buttress his argument  that Governor Wamakko has carried out monumental projects in the state.

So, Umar and his co travelers should concentrate on their immediate duties rather than engaging in needless media war. The media war should have been fought during pre Judgment era, not after, when Nigerians had already made their mind about the ‘Judgment in Error’ given to Sakkwatawa through dubious and unconstitutional ways.

The media war could have been on pecuniary reasons, because they believe that truce will not be in their favour due to the fact that they derive financial gains from such write-ups.

So, the onus is for him to heed the advice of his PRINCIPAL that it is high time such media altercations and war should stop, while asking for unity among all oppositions. The citizens of Sokoto state are tired of such demeaning campaign of Daular Usumaniya, through lies, backbiting and unreliable figures. Let’s talk issue please!

They are really tired of such meaningless altercation tha will do nobody any good, but the hired mercenary living around Kaduna and Abuja, who milk our resources through back door and hired names.

Next time, let people like Umar watched their tongues in playing politics with Islam, as he is aware that his own policy are not part of what he preaches, Islam is above ridiculing, especially to those who have not taken it seriously. A word is enough for the wise!

Yusuf Dingyadi,

Freelance Journalist,

Writes From No 88 Emir Yahaya road, Sokoto