Ahmad Sani Muhammad

Ahmed Rufai Sani Yerima was born on 22 July 1960 in Anka town, Zamfara State.

During his National Youth Service Corps posting in Borno State, he worked in the Budget Department of the Governor’s office and taught at Maiduguri’s Borno College of Basic Studies. In 1983, he joined the Sokoto state civil service as an economic planning officer in the Ministry of Finance.

From 1994, Yerima served as Director of Budget in the same ministry before leaving the civil service in September 1998 to enter politics.

He became Governor of Zamfara State in May 1999 and was re-elected for a second term in 2003. His administration implemented Sharia law in the state, which took effect on 27 January 2000, receiving widespread support from Zamfara’s Muslim majority.

Yerima established bodies like the Council of Ulama and Zakkat Endowment Board to oversee Sharia implementation, though some restrictions affected all citizens, including bans on alcohol and prostitution. Legal challenges by human rights groups were dismissed by the courts.

He sought the ANPP presidential nomination in 2007 but withdrew to back Muhammadu Buhari instead. Yerima was elected Senator for Zamfara West in April 2007 under the APC, later re-elected in April 2011 with 154,359 votes.

He faced accusations of marrying a 13-year-old child bride from Egypt and was investigated for violating Nigeria’s Child Rights Act. The investigation was dropped due to constitutional limitations on marriage regulations under Islamic law.

In March 2013, Yerima was arrested after allegedly inciting comments during a live radio program. He was released shortly afterward, with the ANPP condemning what they saw as political interference.