In June, Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential candidate of the AAC announced Mr Haruna Magashi as his running mate in the forthcoming 2023 general election. Special about the ticket is its combination of two popular human rights defenders; one a citizens rights reporter, the other a citizens rights lawyer. In an interview with reporter, Damilare Adenola, the party vice presidential candidate throws a shovel into the ditch of his profile.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Barrister Haruna Garba Magashi. I’m Hausa by tribe, born in Ibadan Oyo State, and brought up in Kano.
I had my primary and secondary education in Kano and Jigawa States. Attended the University of Maiduguri Borno State for my LL.B and Nigerian Law School Lagos for my BL in 2005. I had a Masters’s degree at Bayero University Kano in 2016.
I’m currently operating my Law Firm HUJJAH CHAMBERS as a Principal Partner
Do you have a background in politics?
I started partial participation in politics in 2003. We were supporting ANPP then when primary elections of the party were conducted. Alhaji Ali Amin Little won the governorship ticket. But Buhari came and dictated that he will never go along with Little. So the ticket was forcefully and illegitimately taken away from Little and given to Ibrahim Shekarau.
That’s when we as youth stood up and supported Little when he was forced out of ANPP and joined PRP.
Some people say you do not have political weight in the North, what do you have to say?
From my point of view, ‘political weight’ as it’s called centers on the efforts one can make to secure the required needs of his party.
It is therefore not something that will be talked over the media, but rather the real effort one can do.
My political weight will be viewed through the structures we can put across the North, and importantly the votes we will be able to amass for our party.
As a human rights lawyer, how do you score the Buhari regime on human rights?
Very poor. Flagrant violations of citizens’ rights have become the order of the day.
What will the Sowore/Magashi administration do differently, as it concerns human rights?
The provisions of Chapter 4 of our Constitution that border on Human Rights will be adhered to without any sentiment.