Ahmad Sani Muhammad

Ahmed Rufai Sani Yerima (born 22 July 1960) is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Zamfara State from May 1999 to May 2007, and served as Senator for Zamfara West and Deputy Minority Leader in the Senate. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ahmed Rufai Sani was born on 22 July 1960 in Anka town, Zamfara State.

As part of the National Youth Service, he was posted to Borno State where he worked in the Budget Department of the Governor's office and also taught at the Borno College of Basic Studies, Maiduguri. In 1983, he began his career in the Sokoto state civil service as an economic planning officer in the Ministry of Finance. In 1994, Yerima returned to the Sokoto state civil service as the Director of Budget in the Ministry of Finance.

In September 1998, he left the civil service to pursue a political career. Yerima met President Muhammadu Buhari to inform him of his intention to run for president. He announced his candidacy on 6 May 2022, saying the President gave him the nod to contest the ticket and he was acting within the provisions of the Nigerian constitution.

Yerima was elected governor of Zamfara State in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 for a second term, ending on 29 May 2007. He was the first Nigerian state governor to implement Sharia law in Zamfara, which came into effect on 27 January 2000. This was enthusiastically received by the state's Muslim majority, with thousands cheering in Gusau.

Sharia implementation bodies were established, including the Council of Ulama, Hisbah Commission, Zakkat and Endowment Board, Sharia Research and Development Board, and the Preaching Commission. Yerima emphasized his commitment to Nigeria as a multi-faith society, though some changes affected all citizens, including bans on alcohol and prostitution.

The implementation of Sharia was challenged in the courts by Huri-Laws, a Nigerian human rights NGO, and a Christian citizen. The Zamfara State High Court dismissed both cases, ruling that the statute did not infringe upon the rights of either claimant.

Yerima put his name forward to be the ANPP candidate for the 2007 presidential election and won backing from the Christian Alliance, but withdrew from the contest at the party's 2007 national convention to back former Head of State Muhammadu Buhari as the ANPP candidate. He was elected Senator representing Zamfara West constituency for the All Nigeria People's Party in April 2007.

He was appointed to committees on Selection, Federal Character & Inter-Government Affairs, Drugs and Narcotics, Anti-Corruption, and Agriculture. Yerima ran again in the 9 April 2011 elections for Senator for Zamfara West on the ANPP platform, winning with 154,359 votes.

Senator Sani was accused of marrying a 13-year-old child bride from Egypt and investigated for violating Nigeria's Child Rights Act of 2003. However, under Article 61 Second Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution, the investigation was dropped because the Nigerian Government has no power to legislate on marriages under Islamic law and customary law.

He maintained that he did not violate Sharia, citing the historical example of Prophet Muhammad marrying a young girl. According to Al Jazeera, he paid $100,000 as dowry for the Egyptian child bride. Yerima was arrested on 9 March 2013 after participating in a live Hausa radio program for making 'inciting' comments.

Released three hours later after questioning, a spokesperson for the All Nigeria Peoples Party condemned the arrest, suggesting it indicated attempts to frustrate the opposition coalition for the 2015 election.