Shehu Sani, a former Senator who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, has recounted his experience of surviving an assassination attempt during the tenure of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
In a recent interview with journalists in Abuja, Sani revealed that he faced threats and intimidation but remained resolute in speaking truth to power.
He explained that his political adversaries instigated an investigation into his academic qualifications, aiming to prosecute him and remove him from the Senate.
Sani recounted incidents where armed assailants attacked his office and he was constantly followed by thugs affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He expressed gratitude for being alive, comparing his situation to that of Dadiyata, another political figure who had gone missing under similar circumstances.
Sani also mentioned an incident in 2017 when the military was ordered to arrest one of his aides, Bashir Ahmad, who was subsequently subjected to torture in an attempt to implicate Sani in a murder case. The police declined to pursue the case after recognizing its political nature.
When discussing the legacy of Governor El-Rufai, Sani criticized his administration for leaving a burden of debt and a persistent problem of terrorist attacks and abductions in the state.
He characterized El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure as wasteful, marked by affliction, malevolence, and tyranny. Sani accused the governor of fostering religious fanaticism and bigotry, particularly in his alleged mistreatment of the people of Southern Kaduna.
Furthermore, Sani claimed that during the primaries, El-Rufai supported Amaechi over Bola Tinubu, and in the presidential election, he prioritized his son’s success in obtaining a House of Representatives seat while allowing Tinubu to lose. Sani warned that having El-Rufai in Tinubu’s cabinet would be problematic, likening it to having a snake in the room.
Sani expressed relief at El-Rufai’s departure and advised Tinubu to be cautious in selecting his associates, urging him to avoid aligning with someone known for betrayals and opportunism.
