₦airaland Forum

El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Iranian-backed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, was arrested over the course of a few fateful days in Zaria when hundreds of his followers were killed in clashes with the Nigerian military. To the military, Zakzaky is a dangerous preacher and a threat to the integrity and unity of Nigeria. To his followers, he is a spiritual and political leader to whom they swear allegiance above all others.

With roots in what has in recent times been regarded as the holy Shi’ite town of Zaria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky is the fifth born of his father. At the age of fifteen, he joined Fata Provincial Arabic School, Zaria, established by the then native authority (N.A.) for primary training of Arabic teachers. Due to his exceptional talent, he is recorded as having finished in two years instead of the usual four. He then proceeded to the School of Arabic Studies (AAS) in Kano, from 1971 – 1976 and obtained the ‘Grade II’ Certificate.

Following the completion of his school studies, he attended the GCE A-Level Private from where he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He studied B.Sc. Economics and graduated with a first class degree in 1979. The degree was denied to him by the university authorities due to his Islamic activities.

On the side of his Islamic education, he furthered his studies from various local ulamas (scholars) who included Mallam Sani Abdulkadir, Mallam Isa Madaka, Mallam Sani (Deputy Imam of Zaria Central Mosque) and Mallam Ibrahim Kakaki. While he was in Kano, he studied at the hawza (religious seminary) of Sheikh Nasir Kapara. He is also a hafiz of Quran and until the time of his recent arrest, he has been in full time research studies in various aspects of Islam.
Presently, he has spent almost 18 years in dawah, calling for a total establishment of Islam. His followers say that for this reason, he has encountered atrocities by every regime in Nigeria, both civilian and military.



El-Zakyzaky began propagating Shi’ite Islam around 1979, at the time of the Iranian revolution, which saw Iran’s monarchy overthrown and replaced with an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. Zakzaky believed that the establishment of a republic along similar religious lines in Nigeria would be feasible. He has been detained several times due to accusations of civil disobedience under military regimes in Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s. He has been to various prisons across the country which include Sokoto, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and presently in Kaduna.

El-Zakzaky lived in Kwarbai quarters in Zaria City before his recent arrest. He is married to Zeenah and has six children. He is the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria and insists in this interview with WDNews that he has never advocated violence in any form, despite the violence suffered by himself and his estimated 3 million supporters.

WDNews: Is the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shi’ites, a sect, a violent group…?
Sheikh El-Zakyzaky: (cuts in) No, we are none of these things you have mentioned, the goal of the Islamic movement is to enlighten the Muslims as to their duties as individuals and as a community. A violent group cannot own more than The movement owns more than five hundred primary/secondary schools located in different parts of the country. You need to attend our Fudiyyah Schools and then judge for yourselves. This is in addition to many Islamic centers and other institutions that go as far as teaching what you may term as Western Education. We also own the nation’s most widely circulated newspaper, Al Mizan, in the Hausa language.

I must say this, I believe that all the names you presume us to be, are from persons that are just afraid of us for no reason. We will never, and not and will never engage in any form of crime to meet any of our aims.

Even when my sons were killed by the authorities, and the genocide committed against my people we remained a peaceful Movement, with enlightened and responsible people as members In almost forty years, we have not had course to resort to violence.

WDNews: The Sultan has subtly warned that there is a tendency for radicalization of your group members?
Sheikh El-Zakyzaky: In all that we do, the crux of the matter is we have conducted ourselves in the most civilized manner and cannot in any way derail from that track record and engage in any form of crime or violence. I think that in itself creates fear. The fear should be that those in power have remained careless about the welfare of their citizens, and crime has become a reoccurring decimal in the country and the IMN condemns all forms of crimes and preaches against them as a religious body.



WDNews: Your clashes with the military and authorities have been widely reported, you lost your sons in one of such clashes.
Sheikh El-Zakyzaky: I had said before my arrest that no matter the government there will be no change, they will only continue to threaten – you will do this, you will do that. And I have never been frightened or been afraid, I am not the problem of Nigeria, or the army, the problem is the lack of welfare by the Nigerian state.

WDNews: In Zaria, you are feared and many accuse you of running a state within a state…?

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PDP: LEADERSHIP FOR SURVIVAL
By Kachi Samuels
As a contemporary political party established in 1998, PDP has consistently produced leaders in the highest political offices of the country for a period of sixteen years. However, the Party itself has never really had an experienced, educated and liberal outward looking man/woman to pilot its affairs. The present National Chairman the Party has, by some happenstance spewed out in the last month, and appears to fit the bill.
Casual observers and political history students will all agree that the major political ruling Party in Nigeria has been somewhat unfortunate in its choices of internal Party leaders over the years. The present hostilities within the Party, uncertain Party affixations of card carrying members, the betrayals, backstabbing and general decay within this crumbling political giant can all be directly attributed to the internal leadership of the Party.
Yes, it is a political Party, but it’s also an organisation and should position itself as such, in this present age. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has the capacity to pull the crumbling giant together and mould tit into a semblance of what it once was, he is uniquely qualified to make the Party greater than originally created.
Senator Sheriff has already demonstrated his remarkable ability by bring various founding fathers to the table and he has united some bickering factors, through his inert ability to disarm and to direct without appearing dictatorial pushy or overbearing, a tick he must have acquired as a student of Insurance Banking and Finance in London Business School.
By virtue of family background, one would expect the Honourable Senator and former Governor to be stuffy, arrogant and unapproachable; the reverse is the case in this particular instance. I have watched the distinguished Senator relate with ordinary Nigerian as equals and I have seen him take personal interest in lives. This trait is sure to bring millions of Nigerians to the big umbrella.
Senator Sheriff is well versed in politics and political administration, as two time Governor and a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has more than enough experience and political wherewithal to provide the leadership PDP needs. He is not cowed by the political intimidations of the present administration, as he responds directly to President Buhari`s caterwauling. Ali Modu Sheriff is political astute, connected and motivated to bring-in the needed results for PDP.
The various organs of PDP should endeavour to pull their heads out of their nether-regions and rally around Ali Modu Sheriff, they should grow-up and put the common good of the Party first for once!!.How be it that every political elite in PDP is shimmering with short sighted political selfishness? When did it become normal and acceptable to pick, use and discard people? What calibre of humans cooked up the idea of a three months National Chairman whose job is to clear up old Party debts, refurbish dilapidated Party offices and pay back -logged staff salaries from personal accounts, organise a hitch-free National Convention for the Party and then fade-off into the sunset, like a good little boy. Where is the heralded PDP fairness?
The recent selection of leadership of various commit tasked with the Organisation of the National Convention, is further indication of Sen Sheriff`s ability to handle the affairs of PDP, why not give him a chance? Why listen to a section of the media bought and paid for to speculate and engender disunity within the PDP fold. As of today if an election is to be conducted between APC and PDP, PDP will still lose because they are fighting at cross purposes and as such, they do not constitute a competition to the present ruling Party. This fact is well known to the incumbent ruling Party, which is why they keep fighting tooth and nail to make certain PDP continues to chase its own tail.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff should be given a chance to stabilize the Party and it must necessarily require a little over a three month time frame, his work thus far; attests to a strong ability to reconstruct and reunite the Party. So, what if he wants to contest for the presidential ticket in 2019, good I say, let him via for the ticket with others of like mind; the more the merrier.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is what PDP needs to resuscitate itself because if the People’s Democratic Party fails in 2019, they would have failed the Nigerians for the last time and they might not survive to try again.