Uba Sani credits Gani Fawehinmi with opening Nigeria's political space

Kaduna Governor Uba Sani has credited the late pro-democracy activist Chief Gani Fawehinmi with securing political plurality in Nigeria. Speaking at a book presentation in Kaduna titled ‘Gani Fawehinmi And Uba Sani, A Tale Of Mentor And Mentee’, Sani highlighted Fawehinmi’s role in challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Sani recalled a legal battle led by Fawehinmi and Alhaji Balarabe Musa against stringent INEC conditions for registering political parties. Following a lengthy legal process, the Court of Appeal delivered a ruling in 2002, which was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court in January 2003. The Governor noted that this verdict opened the political space, allowing for the emergence of more political parties and enabling citizens to exercise their rights to organize politically.