As much as I tried to find something positive about Umar Yar A’dua - the PDP presidential flag bearer - beside his philanthropic gesture to the talawakas - the Islamic street urchins commonly found in northern Nigeria - I couldn’t. What I found closely tied to him is the belated but widely circulated reports on Amina Lawal (in photo), the 33-year old mother and single parent sentenced to death by stoning having being convicted for adultery under the Sharia law in Kastina state - the state Yar A’dua governs, and the the 5th state to adopt the sharia law in Nigeria.
Although this was in 2002 and Amina escaped being stoned to death by a whisker, in places where democracy work, and the masses are knowledgeable and not apathetic, it will be a miracle if the Sharia sentence failed to cost Yar A’dua the elections. But this is Nigeria where human memory is so short and human lives don’t mean much!
Reactions to the Yar A’dua-Jonathan ticket haven’t been very enthusiastic on the Nigerian blogosphere. In addition to Nilla’s Spin list of related blogs, I will add the following blogs: Omo Dudu, Life cycle Analysis and Musings of Naija man.
By the way, I wonder what the EFCC will say to the money laundering investigation of Yar A’dua’s running mate’s wife, or the allegation made by Vice President Atiku against President Obasanjo during public sitting of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF). Atiku alleged that Obasanjo approved the release of N10 billion from the PTDF to help facilitate the failed 3rd term agenda in the National Assembly.
That’s one of my fears with Yar’Adua (the sharia thing).
And thanx for the link
December 19, 2006 at 1:48 am
You’re welcome Nilla. Thanks for the link on your end as well. We’ll see how the sharia factor plays out during the campaign, I don’t expect it to be much of an issue though, unfortunately. However, lets see how the EFCC and PDP will explain Jonathan’s wife money laundering allegations. It will be interesting to see how they spin it.
December 19, 2006 at 2:12 am
Yeah, an average person forgets things easily. Thanks for the reminder. I feel a campaign should be started to let people into Yar’adua’s past. Nigerians need to be fully aware of what might happen if they allow Yar’adua to be the next president of Nigeria. If you don’t mind, I would like to share your post on a forum.
December 19, 2006 at 4:57 am
Emmanuel: Sure, you can use the content. I need to know which forum though so I can follow the conversation.
December 19, 2006 at 12:40 pm
I hope he would not take us back to the dark ages of sharia law.
December 19, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Hi Imnakoya,
Thanx. I started a thread on this already at http://thinknigeria.com/nigeria/sharia-yaradua-and-amina-lawal-remember-t57.0.html
December 20, 2006 at 3:27 am
This is honestly an issue that should be taken into serious consideration by the Nigerian people. First of all we is very important to note that NIGERIA IS NOT A MUSLIM NATION and the impplementaton of the sharia law in some states is highly unconstitutional.Nigeria is a country that is equaly divided between christians and muslims and the impplementation of sharia law by any Govenor shows the total disreguard that the governor has for the christians in the country. Let us rise up and stop this jungle politics. Yaradua must not be president.
December 21, 2006 at 5:32 am
I wonder if Nigerians will elect as president somebody that has shown total disregard for the constitution of the country he is trying to rule.
I bet he will come up with his own constitution for himself and his cohort.
January 7, 2007 at 9:36 pm