Sarah Jibril

Early life and education

Jibril is of the Nupe tribe in Pategi LGA of Kwara State. She had her secondary education at Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin. As a child she wanted to be a medical practitioner, but this ended after she got a scholarship to have a diploma in education in the UK. However, after her return to Nigeria, she took up an appointment with Advanced Teacher's College, Kano to teach Physical and Health Education. She had her first degree in recreational leadership from Senior Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas city, United States. She also has a master's degree in Educational Psychology with Guidance and Counseling from the University of Lagos. Before her interest in politics, she was working on a thesis on social psychology at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In appreciation for her religious involvement, she got a scholarship from a Christian body in the United States to start a Ph.D in Christian motivation.

She has two books to her name, the first Hints for Effective Parenting: For Effective Family Living, and the second in 2006, titled Ethics for Development.

Political career

Jibril's quest for public office began in 1983, when she contested to be senator in Kwara State. According to her, the desire to reorient the mindset of Nigerians on politics was what prompted her to go into it. She has stated that her name, "Sarah", encompasses her vision for Nigeria.

Jibril was also appointed commissioner for social development, youth and sport in Kwara State, and has served on various sporting positions including Kaduna State sports council. In 1992, she contested to be president under the Social Democratic Party, but was placed fourth in the primary election, although she won the presidential nomination for her state, Kwara. She re-contested to be president in 1998, under the platform of People's Democratic Party, but lost to Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2003, she defected from PDP to Progressive Action Congress to become the first woman to represent a registered party and be a presidential candidate but lost to Obasanjo again.

After losing out in the 2011 presidential elections primaries to eventual president, Goodluck Jonathan, notably getting only a single vote, she was appointed special adviser on ethics and values to the president.

As special adviser, she advocated for a national curriculum that would ensure Nigerian was free of corruption at all levels and founding values are maintained. Jibril also accused opponents of President Jonathan as being mannerless and lacking decorum. She also blamed the state governors in Nigeria for not effectively utilizing the resources given to them by the federal government and supported the reelection bid of former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2015, she was criticized for attributing the frequent cases of sexual offences towards women to indecent dressing of Nigerian female youths.

In an interview with Vanguard, she supported the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari, and stated that the previous administration hadn't done enough to maintain integrity and accountability. She declined to comment on whether she will be contesting for president for the fifth time in 2019, explaining that it's too early and insensitive to be talking of election when a new government was just sworn into office. Jibril is the deputy chairman of Progressive Liberation Party.

Personal life

Sarah is the widow of Brigadier General Jibril, and they have four children and grandchildren. Being married to a top military man, she served as secretary of the Lagos State chapter of Nigeria Army Officers Wives Association. She is fluent in Nupe, Hausa, Yoruba and English languages.