Ahmed Umar Rufai

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, acting within the provisions of the Nigerian constitution. Yerima said if elected he would fight insecurity, poverty, and ignorance.

However, the party did not clear him to contest the party primaries. Yerima was elected governor of Zamfara State in 1999. He was re-elected in 2003 for a second term, which ended on 29 May 2007. Yerima was the first Nigerian state governor to implement Sharia law in his state, which came into effect on 27 January 2000. This was enthusiastically received by the state’s Muslim majority; thousands gathered in Gusau to cheer and shout 'God is great'.

Sharia implementation bodies were established in Zamfara, including the Council of Ulama, Hisbah Commission, Zakkat and Endowment Board, Sharia Research and Development Board, and the Preaching Commission. The Governor emphasized his commitment to Nigeria as a multi-faith society, though some changes affected all citizens, including bans on alcohol and prostitution. The introduction of Sharia in Zamfara was challenged in the courts by Huri-Laws and a Christian citizen, but the Zamfara State High Court dismissed both cases, ruling the statute did not infringe on rights.

Yerima put his name forward to be the ANPP candidate for the 2007 presidential election and received backing from the Christian Alliance but withdrew to support former Head of State Muhammadu Buhari. Yerima 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.

Senator Yerima ran again in the 9 April 2011 elections for Senator for Zamfara West on the ANPP platform. He was reelected 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.

Yerima maintained that he has not violated Sharia law, citing the example of Prophet Muhammad. According to Al Jazeera, he paid $100,000 as dowry for the 13-year-old Egyptian. Senator Yerima was arrested on 9 March 2013 after participating in a live Hausa radio program broadcast by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria for making 'inciting' comments. He was released three hours later after questioning. A spokesperson for the All Nigeria Peoples Party condemned the arrest, suggesting it was aimed at frustrating the opposition coalition for the 2015 election.