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By Hugo Michael
It is a well established fact that Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, former governor of Zamfara State, and the Senator representing Zamfara West in the National Assembly, is one of the most notable figures in the politics of the Fourth Republic. He is a man of influence and a bridge-builder whose network of political connections and contacts cannot be easily rivaled. Some would say that Yari attained the enviable height he enjoys today simply because he had the opportunity of presiding over at Zamfara Government House in Gusau for eight uninterrupted years as governor.
That, certainly, is a very simplistic way of packaging this gregarious politician. Senator Yari, to be sure, is not the only Nigerian politician who has enjoyed the privilege of being a state governor for eight years. Many have been there before him. But it is only a handful that have continued to ride the crest after leaving office as Yari is doing. Thus, if Senator Yari occupies a pride of place in the Nigerian political arena, it is because he understands the importance of living beyond the moment. As governor, Yari looked beyond the confines of Zamfara. He did not see his governorship as an end in itself. He saw it instead as a stepping stone to higher attainments. Since leaving office, he has left no one in doubt that he knows how to manage the vagaries of the Nigerian political climate.
Given the fact that Senator Yari knows his onions, nobody can ignore him whenever big politics is being played. In fact, he is becoming a political institution so much so that many sneeze at the mere mention of his name. But Senator Yari is not just influential in politics, he is also very successful in business. Some say that he is wealthy. But what they fail to say is that he deploys a substantial chunk of his wealth to charity and humanitarian concerns. Many do not know this side of him because the man does not like to blow his trumpet. He is a quiet performer who feels more fulfilled whenever he engages in any activity that empowers the less privileged.
Indeed, Yari has been living his life both in politics and business without constituting himself into a stumbling block. However, since success always attracts envy, Yari has become the target of envious individuals who feel that they need to stop him in his tracks if they must make progress. Such individuals feel, rather erroneously, that Yari is their problem. As a man with a large heart, he is not bothered by those distractions. But his traducers are not relenting. They have resorted to all manner of blackmail in order to diminish the political stature of Yari or even bring him down completely. That explains the allegations that he faces at moment.
Those who are not comfortable with his soaring political profile want to put him in check. Their evil plots have been manifesting in various ways lately. Just recently, Senator Yari was indecently associated with gold bars worth about N4 billion seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. The gold bars were allegedly being transported to Saudi Arabia. Senator Yari has vehemently denied knowing anything about the gold bars. And the EFCC, since the seizure of the gold, has not had any reason to link the Senator with the gold haul. Regardless of this, Yari’s detractors have continued to dig in. They want the public to believe the lie that Yari has something to do with the gold.
Before the issue of the gold bars came into limelight, Senator Yari was being accused by his traducers of sponsoring banditry and terrorism in his state. None of these allegations has been able to hold water because Yari is not guilty of any. These are allegations made for the sake of blackmail. What we have is a case of trying to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. Obviously, somebody is afraid of Yari’s towering political stature. Somebody is certainly not comfortable with his closeness to men of power and influence. Under the present political arrangement, Yari is a prominent player who must be taken into consideration whenever critical political decisions are being made.
As a frontline senator, Yari enjoys a robust relationship with President Bola Tinubu. In fact, he is a great pillar of support for Tinubu. This is especially so now that the greater part of the North does not feel comfortable with the president’s second term bid. The president needs committed northerners who will help him to navigate the rough terrain that he needs to conquer in order to have back the support of the north for his presidency. Yari is at the forefront of those who genuinely support the president’s agenda. His loyalty to the president is an asset both for him and Tinubu. But those who do not like Yari do not want that relationship to thrive. They are not succeeding because the president himself is a smart player who knows how to navigate political landmines. He perfectly understands the fact that Yari is just being blackmailed by detractors.
The good thing is that Yari has remained focused. He has not allowed little minds to distract him. As a patriot, Yari he is focused on how to get the best out of Nigeria. He promotes and supports good causes. As a clear conscience, he is not afraid of the mudslingers. His challenge to them is that they should prove the allegations against him. As it is often said, whoever that alleges must provide evidence. So far, Yari’s accusers are bereft of any evidence.
They have nothing to rely on. Their objective is just to tarnish the image of a man who has done no wrong. But Nigerians are no fools. They know when forces of evil want to derail good causes. They are never taken in by such dangerous antics. That is the unfortunate lot of Yari’s traducers. They are hitting the rock because they are chasing shadows. My advice to them is to go and work hard as Senator Yari is doing. If they do that, they will have no further need to see blackmail as an instrument for political ascendancy. It is only an idle and lazy mind that sees cheap blackmail as a political weapon. Forward-looking people shun blackmail like a plague. All said, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari remains the big tree that they cannot bring down with their dilapidated tools of destruction.
