Uba Sani and Heroes of Democracy By JAMES SWAM
When the rich story of the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria is finally written by scholars, one of the many heroes who will occupy a prime spot is the governor of Kaduna state, Senator Uba Sani. He was one of the leading voices in the north who stood firmly against the brutal military regimes in the 90s. Alongside other like-minded activists, they struggled to instill human rights, engaging in constant verbal wars with autocratic regimes.
President Bola Tinubu acknowledged this in his Democracy Day nationwide broadcast on June 12, marking 25 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria. The Kaduna state governor was among the 32 pro-democracy activists he eulogised in his speech, affirming Uba Sani’s outstanding role in the birth of the Fourth Republic. Moreover, the governor was among the only four Northerners the president mentioned, including the great mobiliser, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, the strong-hearted Commodore Dan Suleiman, and the fearless Senator Shehu Sani.
There are many other heroes the president left out due to lack of time and space, such as Balarabe Musa, Col. Yohanna Madaki, Col. Dangiwa Umar, and Chief Solomon Lar, among others.
President Tinubu, himself a chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO)—a group branded as notorious by the repressive military regime at the time—was in exile, like many other pro-democracy and rights activists, to escape wanton arrest, detention, and prosecution by agents of the state. “I was among those who took the risk to midwife the birth of our democracy. I am now a direct and obvious beneficiary of the fruits of those historic efforts,” he said in the broadcast.
Governor Uba Sani is also a beneficiary of the pro-democracy movement. Among the 36 governors, he stands out as the only one who fought the military as a human rights activist. However, unlike the president, he battled the regimes from within. He was not in exile, as highlighted by the president. He stayed back in the country, bravely “sustaining the pressure on the military”.
Speaking in Kaduna in May during the celebration of Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s 86th posthumous birthday and the immortalisation of Balarabe Musa by a group of activists, the governor reflected on the significance of the occasion, recounting the challenges faced under military rule, and the role he played. “I am extremely delighted to be in the midst of my dear comrades and colleagues in the human rights and pro-democracy struggles. This is one reunion I deeply cherish,” he said.
Uba Sani boldly told his audience that his political skills were honed in the crucible of the human rights struggle, noting that his current position is a result of that period when he realised the need to fight for justice, equity, and fairness in society. He has never looked back since.
His courage has propelled him forward. In the quarter-century since the return of democracy, Uba Sani has been a significant figure in the corridors of power, mingling with influential leaders and wielding considerable influence in decision-making. He has steadily ascended the leadership ladder, steadfastly adhering to the principles of equality and fairness.
He built lasting friendships across the Niger River with notable figures in the struggle, tirelessly working against the military government. He joined alliances and coalitions to liberate the populace from dictatorship. Focused and bold, persuasive, vigorous, and graceful, Uba Sani has left an indelible mark on the nation’s pro-democracy journey.
He held the enviable position of National Vice Chairman North West of the Campaign for Democracy (CD), steered by the irrepressible Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti. He subsequently became the Deputy National Chairman, North, at the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON), led by the indefatigable Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
Like most West African countries, Nigerians celebrated independence in 1960, only to be interrupted a few years later by martial music under the guise of correcting governance. But for the courageous intervention of pro-democracy activists, the country might still be under the repressive regime that forbade freedom of speech and association.
Indeed, Nigerians favour democracy despite its flaws, having been rescued from military rule two decades and a half now. A 2022 survey by Afrobarometer showed that a majority of people desire democracy over military rule, even though three-quarters believe governance is still in a developmental phase given the myriad challenges facing the 63-year-old nation.
As governor, Uba Sani has publicly acknowledged being “a representative of the human rights and pro-democracy movement,” pledging to uphold its tenets “by running an inclusive, pro-people government committed to bringing succor to the poor, vulnerable, and underserved in Kaduna State.” After years of toiling to instill democracy and good governance, the people are now looking at him expectantly.
In a recently published book titled _170 Selected Quotations of Gov. Uba_ Sani to mark his one year in office, I dedicated Chapter Two to unique quotes by the governor on equity and justice. The essence is to highlight his past in the pro-democracy struggle and remind him of his sayings and the high expectations of the electorate regarding the fair distribution of the dividends of democracy.
President Bola Tinubu may not have intentionally boosted Governor Uba Sani’s ego in that broadcast, but he enlisted him in the hall of fame with his open praise, much to the amazement of critics. As a hero of the pro-democracy movement, Uba Sani has undoubtedly paid his dues in the struggle to nurture democracy and deserves the president’s applause.
James Swam, former Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State and Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Kaduna Chapter, is the author of _How to be an Effective Spokesperson_
