Geregu Power Plc: Why Yari’s Board Appointment Does Not Excite Us — Northern Group

As public reactions continue to trail the appointment of Senator Abdulaziz Yari as the new Chairman of the Board of Geregu Power Plc, a northern-based group has added a strong voice to the growing debate.
The group, Mai Kare Talakawa (MKT), which is largely based in Sokoto State in the North-West, said it is unmoved by the development, stressing that it would rather stand for the interests of ordinary people, particularly the downtrodden, than join what it described as a chorus of praise singers for the elite.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its spokesperson, Mallam Yusuf Mohammed, the group questioned the source and scale of Senator Yari’s wealth, especially given his background as a public office holder from Zamfara State, one of the poorest states in the North-West.
According to the group, apart from his known links to MA’AM Energy and mining activities he has repeatedly been associated with, Senator Yari has no widely known strong private business base. Yet, they noted, he has amassed enormous wealth since presiding over the commonwealth of Zamfara State.
MKT argued that such accumulation of wealth at the expense of the masses runs contrary to Islamic principles, stressing that any sincere Muslim should stand firmly against such practices.
“For someone who only served as a Commissioner, a two-term Governor, and is now a serving Senator from a poor state like Zamfara, the level of wealth accumulated raises serious moral and ethical questions,” the group said. “During his eight years as Governor, our youths were left without jobs, exposing the state to poverty and youth restiveness, which today manifests as insecurity across Zamfara.”
Beyond what it described as a conflict of interest for a serving Senator involved in oversight functions, the group also condemned what it called the “outlandish” acquisition of controlling shares in Geregu Power Plc.
According to Mohammed, the alleged use of over one trillion naira (₦1 trillion) to acquire shares in Geregu Power has no direct benefit for ordinary people in Zamfara State, but rather deepens poverty and worsens insecurity, especially in the context of ongoing illegal mining activities.
“When we thought his ongoing cases at the EFCC, ICPC and DSS would help the people recover funds and assets linked to his tenure as Governor, and also curb illegal mining believed to have fuelled banditry, we were shocked to read that the same individual was acquiring a power plant worth over one trillion naira,” the statement said. “This is ridiculous, outlandish and preposterous.”
The group further highlighted Zamfara State’s poverty ranking, noting that the state is currently rated as the third poorest in Nigeria. Citing a 2024 report, MKT said Zamfara recorded 82.70 percent multidimensional poverty, ranking behind only Sokoto and Jigawa states.
“This was a man who rose from being a Commissioner to Governor, yet today appears richer than the state he once governed, while the people continue to suffer extreme poverty and insecurity,” the group said. “How will Allah be pleased with such a soul?”
The statement also warned that divine judgment ultimately supersedes human judgment, stressing that Allah’s verdict is superior to that of courts or law enforcement agencies. It added that the prayers of the people of Zamfara and neighbouring states affected by the same challenges would not go unanswered.
MKT advised Senator Yari and other northern elites to reflect on a recent interview granted by popular Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, on TRUST TV, where he criticised lavish spending on footballers and other non-essential pursuits while the number of Almajirai and out-of-school children continues to rise, fuelling insecurity in the North.
It will be recalled that Geregu Power Plc, located in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, appointed Senator Yari as Chairman of its Board of Directors following the resignation of billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, a development announced by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) penultimate Monday.
Since the announcement, the acquisition and appointment have attracted widespread public criticism, largely due to Senator Yari’s political status and the controversies surrounding his tenure as Governor of Zamfara State, as well as his repeated encounters with security and law enforcement agencies over allegations of corruption, illegal mining and insecurity in the state.