Former Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central, has commended Ghanaian President John Mahama for advancing a United Nations resolution that categorizes slavery as a crime against humanity.

Sani made the remarks in a statement on his verified X account on Friday, describing Mahama’s actions as a revival of the Pan-African ideals championed by leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah.

He emphasized that Pan-African leaders have long sought to highlight the atrocities of slavery, arguing that global focus has historically prioritized the horrors of the Second World War over the transatlantic slave trade.

“The dementia of history has been corrected with the UN categorization of slavery as the gravest crime against humanity,” Sani said.

Sani criticized African leaders who did not support the resolution, suggesting their opposition reflects unacknowledged historical complicity.

“Slavery is the major factor why the Black race has been wrongly and unjustly categorized as inferior,” he added.

The resolution, passed at the UN, formally recognizes slavery’s enduring impact and affirms its status as a severe violation of human rights.

President Mahama, speaking in New York on Tuesday, condemned the U.S. administration for policies that he said risk erasing Black history, warning that such practices could have global repercussions.

Sani described Mahama’s stance as a corrective to historical neglect and a symbolic reaffirmation of African agency in global human rights discourse.

The remarks have sparked renewed discussion on the legacy of slavery and the role of African leadership in shaping international historical narratives.