Attahiru Bafarawa
{{short description|Nigerian politician}}
{{use Nigerian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa
|image =
|office1 = Governor of Sokoto State
|term_start1 = 29 May 1999
|term_end1 = 29 May 2007
|predecessor1 = Rufai Garba
|successor1 = Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|11|04|df=y}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|party =
}}
Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa (born 4 November 1954) is a Nigerian politician who served as the executive governor of Sokoto State from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.{{cite web
|url=http://www.sokotostate.gov.ng/government.html
|title=Sokoto State Government
|publisher=Sokoto State
|access-date=7 December 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603190721/http://www.sokotostate.gov.ng/government.html
|archive-date=3 June 2009
}}
Early career
He was a one-time local government councillor in charge of education. In 1979, he ran unsuccessfully for election to the House of Representatives on the platform of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP). He was a member of the National Constitutional Conference of 1994ā1995, during the military rule of Sani Abacha. He was a founding member of the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1997 and the All People's Party (APP) in 1998.
Governor of Sokoto State
In 1999, Bafarawa was elected governor of Sokoto State on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and was re-elected for the ANPP in 2003. In March 2002, a Sharia court in Sokoto State freed a 35-year-old woman Safiya Hussaini, who had been sentenced to death{{Cite web |date=2001-10-23 |title=Nigeria: Woman Sentenced to Death Under Sharia {{!}} Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2001/10/23/nigeria-woman-sentenced-death-under-sharia |access-date=2024-07-05 |language=en}} by stoning after being found guilty of adultery. Nigeria's justice minister declared Sharia as unconstitutional. Bafarawa, however, said the Sharia states would not adhere to this declaration.{{cite web
|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2002-03-25-35-sokoto-67421662/277559.html
|title=Sokoto Governor Attahiru Bafarawa discusses Sharia ruling
|date=25 March 2002
|publisher=Voice of America
|access-date=6 December 2009
}}
Under the Bafarawa administration the state made significant improvements in the quality of roads. Schools were upgraded, and enrolment greatly improved due to assurances that all pupils would be taught morals and Islamic religion.
Later career
Bafarawa founded the Democratic People's Party (DPP) and became its presidential candidate at the 2007 presidential elections in Nigeria.{{cite news
|first=Ifeatu
|last=Dickson
|title=Bafarawa: Ahead on merit
|url=http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/2007/mar/23/opinion-23-03-2007-002.htm
|publisher=The Sun Publishing Limited
|date=23 March 2007
|access-date=12 April 2008
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821162631/http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/2007/mar/23/opinion-23-03-2007-002.htm
|archive-date=21 August 2007
|df=dmy
}} As presidential candidate, while meeting with officials of the US State Department in Washington, D.C., he promised to scrap the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) if elected, describing the commission as "a conduit of corruption and waste."{{cite web
|url=http://www.triumphnewspapers.com/archive/DT22032007/ill223207.html
|publisher=Daily Triumph
|title=I'll scrap NDDC if... ā Bafarawa
|author=RABI'U AUWAL
|date=22 March 2007
|access-date=5 December 2009}} On 30 April 2024, Bafarawa while meeting with journalists in his home state of Sokoto, said he would neither contest for elective positions or accept any political appointments in the future, stressing that he had been in active politics for 40 years and it was time to leave the stage for younger people.{{Cite web |last=Salman |first=Animashaun |date=2024-04-30 |title=Iām done with political appointments, says ex-gov Bafarawa |url=https://punchng.com/im-done-with-political-appointments-says-ex-gov-bafarawa/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}} On 13 January 2025, he resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through a letter addressed to the party executives, stating that he wanted to focus more on programs that inspire young people.{{Cite web |last=Salman |first=Animashaun |date=2025-01-14 |title=Ex-Sokoto gov Bafarawa resigns from PDP |url=https://punchng.com/ex-sokoto-gov-bafarawa-resigns-from-pdp/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=olufemiajasa |date=2025-01-14 |title=Ex-Sokoto governor Bafarawa dumps PDP |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/01/ex-sokoto-governor-bafarawa-dumps-pdp/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Vanguard News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Bello |first=Kabeer |date=2025-01-14 |title=Ex-Sokoto Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa dumps PDP |url=https://dailypost.ng/2025/01/14/ex-sokoto-governor-attahiru-bafarawa-dumps-pdp/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Daily Post Nigeria |language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{SokotoStateGovernors}}
{{Nigerian state governors 1999-2003 term}}
{{Nigerian state governors 2003-2007 term}}
{{2007 presidential election candidates, Nigeria}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bafarawa, Attahiru}}
Category:Governors of Sokoto State
Category:Great Nigeria People's Party politicians
Category:United Nigeria Congress Party politicians
Category:All People's Party (Nigeria) politicians
Category:All Nigeria Peoples Party politicians
Category:Democratic People's Party (Nigeria) politicians