Sani Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara and a presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), claims he did nothing illegal by marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl.
Mr Yerima revealed this on Tuesday’s Channels TV appearance.
At the time of the marriage in 2009, child rights groups were outraged, but Mr Yerima says he did not break any Nigerian laws.
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“If I had done anything wrong, I would have been tried in court. NAPTIP wanted to try the case and they dropped the matter because I didn’t do anything wrong,” Mr Yerima said.
He added that “there is no law in Nigeria that determines when and how you get married. Muslims have Sharia, the Christians I don’t know what their doctrines say.”
A two term governor of Zamfara State between 1999-2007, Mr Yerima, was the first governor to introduce Sharia Law later enforced in 12 northern states of Nigeria.
Critics argue that introduction of Sharia Law might have reinforced the bedrock of Islamic fundamentalism in the country.