ABUJA — Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has launched a blistering attack on ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of undermining democracy and breeding political thuggery during his eight-year rule.
Sani made the remarks on TVC’s Politics Tonight on Monday while reacting to the violent disruption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition’s transition committee inauguration in Kaduna over the weekend — an incident blamed on suspected thugs.
The outspoken former lawmaker said El-Rufai had no real grasp of democratic values, arguing that his political rise was never tied to the sacrifices of those who fought for Nigeria’s democratic restoration.
“For people like Nasir, when they found themselves in a position or office, they don’t know what democracy is all about because they didn’t fight for it,” Sani said.
“He was an unknown figure before 1999. He has never been in the cell for one day. He has never been in prison. He has never worn handcuffs.”
Contrasting his own journey with that of El-Rufai, Sani emphasized that he had personally paid the price for Nigeria’s democracy.
“As you see me here, I have been through many prisons, I have been through many police stations. I wore prison uniforms, I wore leg chains, I wore handcuffs as a political prisoner fighting for this democracy that is 25 years old,” he stated.
Sani further accused El-Rufai of fostering a culture of political violence in Kaduna, alleging that the former governor “bred a group of thugs that became his unofficial force against political opponents” during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.
He also described El-Rufai as arrogant and intolerant of dissent.
“He didn’t care when he was in office. He didn’t listen to anybody. Nobody could talk to him, nobody could restrain him. That’s why he could sack thousands of teachers, sack civil servants, and demolish people’s houses without consequence,” Sani alleged.
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