₦airaland Forum

Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) has
disclosed that he dropped his ambition for the
Kaduna State governorship seat after party
chieftains pressed him to step down for Malam
Nasir el-Rufai because he was President
Muhammadu Buhari’s choice candidate.
In an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP Friday, he
also revealed that his present rift with the
governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-
Rufai, is purely ideological.
Sani, who paid a courtesy visit to the corporate
head office of the media house yesterday,
stated that he stepped down for el-Rufai for
the gubernatorial ticket of his party, the All
Progressives Congress (APC), due to pressures
from politicians and stakeholders in the state
who declared that el-Rufai was the preferred
candidate of President Buhari.
He said: “For the first time, let me tell you
some background issues in the political divide
in Kaduna. I never intended to contest for the
Senate; I wanted to contest for the
governorship and I opened offices in Zaria,
Kaduna and Kafanchan, and later there was
pressure on me that I should step down.
Politicians came to meet me; that I should step
down and allow el-Rufai to contest because
they said he was the favourite of the president.
“I pulled back and said I wanted to contest for
the Senate, but there was a sitting senator,
General Saleh, and I had to evict him during
the primary election. And I told them in black
and white that I didn’t have money to give any
delegate, and if they feel OK with my
principles, then let them vote for me, but if my
principles are not right for them, let them go
and vote for the same person (that was
occupying the seat); and they voted for me and
I removed an incumbent senator. So I didn’t
contest against a vacuum.”
According to him, when he got the Senate
ticket, there were two major candidates in the
Kaduna gubernatorial race, el-Rufai and Isa
Ashiru, and all the two had their senatorial
candidates; el-Rufai was with General Saleh and
Isa Ashiru was with Sani Suleiman, and one
other Sadiq Lagos.
He said: “I did not have any gubernatorial
candidate as far as I was concerned, and I now
thrashed the candidate of el-Rufai and Isa
Ashiru. The el-Rufai that won the gubernatorial
ticket in Kaduna won it with 1,000 and
something votes and I won one senatorial zone
with 920 votes. In three senatorial zone he got
1,600; I alone got 920 votes.
“If I had contested the governorship, there was
no way that I wouldn’t have emerged; it’s not
possible. So I sacrificed that and I contested the
Senate and I won. Reports going on in the
media is on the surface.”
He further averred that the Kaduna State
governor and he were different on the
ideological front.
Sani, a reputable social crusader all his life, also
remarked that the recent directive of the
governor, in which he directed that beggars
should leave the state, if not properly
managed, would lead to an implosion in
Kaduna.
He argued that the right conservative political
divide, to which the governor belonged,
created the socio-economic rot that produced
the beggars and the destitute in the society,
adding that its own solution to it, unfortunately,
was to clear them from the streets and portray
a semblance of sanity and normalcy.
“There is a clear idea logical difference
between el-Rufai and me. He is of the right
ultra conservative while I come from the left of
the political divide. The right conservative
political divide created the socio-economic rot
that produced the beggars and dregs in the
society; their own solution to it is to clear them
from the streets and portray a semblance of
sanity and normalcy.”
He further explained that one cannot solve a
socio-economic problem by hiding it under the
cupboard.
“My position is that the beggars, the
unemployed who have been parading our
streets, were byproducts of the socio-economic
problem which people what propagated his (e-
Rufai’s) own kind of ideology created in the
society, and in order to address such problems,
you first of all address the social iniquities that
produced them.
“Has he provided capital for those beggars to
start some useful things to do? He has not.
Have you given them accommodation where to
stay? No, he has not; and then the hawkers on
the street, did you give them an alternative on
what to do and where to go?
“All they want is to pack them and put them in
a truck and send them somewhere. Come to
Kaduna and see if that has worked: the beggars
are back to the streets; the hawkers are there;
all those things you want to clear are there and
it’s not working. We fundamentally differ on
that.”
On the issue of demolition of houses by the
governor, he said: “We came in and met a
people who had been impoverished, destroyed
and dehydrated by a ruling party for 16 years.
We came in because these poor people voted
for us. Most of the elite, on Election Day, didn’t
even come out. They (the poor) voted us into
power. They were given money by the PDP in
Kaduna but they refused. The women were
given fabrics, soap and rice; they refused and
voted us into power.
“Now if you are an experienced and sensible
administrator – and you promised education,
power and health, jobs, skill acquisition for
youths – how can you as an intelligent man say
the first priority is demolition of houses; and
all these houses were given by the previous
government. Now all of them have gone to
court and have gotten injunction.
“You didn’t clear a fallow land between Kaduna
and Zaria and say, ‘All of you, this is a place for
you and take this as compensation, and all of
you should move there. Abuja of 2007 is not
the same with Kaduna of 2015. In Abuja, you
were dealing with rich and powerful people
who had many houses and money. When you
see a man with a house in Kaduna, it may be
his last pension which he devoted to it.”

Source: leadership.ng/news/455257/why-i-stepped-down-for-el-rufai-sen-sani

This man sha. What wrong did Jonathan ever do to u? First, you made him lose the elections by embarking on a negative campaign for him. After the elections and during results declaration, u kept him under d illusion that he's winning with your now infamous "from our latest reports, PDP is winning in 23 states speech". As if that wasn't enough, now u telling Buhari to try and jail him? Ogbeni, fear God

Anytime I read or listen any Godsday Orubebe news, his childlike tantrums at the Presidential election result collation center and Jega's mature handling of foolishness comes to mind. This man f up big time sha.

U need not tell them. They know a new sheriff is in town and no one wanna be used as a scapegoat.

1.4 Billion? God have mercy!

This is a warning to those thieves in Abuja. A day will come when the people will be fed up of ur ineptitude, the impunity and the broad day looting of our commonwealth. On that day, you'll have no where to hide. On that day, the french and Russian revolution will be a child's play. Remember! The french and Russians didn't rise up after a day of oppression. It took years and unless u change, Nigerians will soon have enough of you. On that day, bushmeat go catch hunter. In other news, PEDRO RODRIGUEZ IS A BLUE

Bode George. You never still go your exile?

Na so e suppose be. Also, tell the oil companies that @ least 75 percent of their employees should be Nigerians. Or, if they must be foreigners, then the Nigerians should have the same terms of service with them. Enough of all these oyibos coming to form boss for us on our own grounds with our own resources. E no get wetin dem dey do Wey we no fit do.

Pickin Wey get sense. Unlike some first ladies who are only concerned about following their husbands to everywhere(Iara) and flirting with their husband's colleagues(Iara & Okorocha's American romance). Or some that are only interested in battling for the first lady position(Kebbi state governor's wife) and the oga of them all who insults her father's agemates with pidgin and in public, plays d role of a president and determines who gets what(Patience Jona baby)

They argued that you cannot recall a lawmaker
on Hajj to Nigeria for the sole purpose of
screening and confirming the ministers.
According to them, in the event of Buhari
presenting the ministerial list, “we will keep it
till September 29 for our colleagues to return
from the Hajj and Sallah celebrations.”. Were they voted to go for Hajj or were they voted to carry out such duties as screening of ministers? If their duty is the latter, then I don't care whether they are in Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Israel for pilgrimage. If the ministerial list is out, ya'll better pack your lazy selves back to Nigeria and do ur duties. Just imagine! Because we haven't complained of 10 days on seat, 20 days off duty policy abi?

Do they ever do anything other than fight for power? It's been over 2 months since their inauguration and over 4 since their elections and all these idiots have been able to do is fight for power. Bunch of useless retards

Sell the houses and you'll have to explain how u got such money. For their mind their accounts and movements ain't be monitored? Hahahah. I laugh in Swahili. The chicken has come to roost. There's no escape for them. Just jejely go and return ur loot.

Baba, Wey ur source? All this senate leader talk na wash sha. Ben Murray Bruce talk pass this one. That reminds me! Where's that mumu albino? It's over 2 months and no bill has been introduced or sponsored by him o

Pavarottii:
I pity u, u r happy at a man'ss downfall, read your bible well, u r laying curse upon urself, pray that poverty leave u. Because u r causing urself to be poor.

Another man's downfall? Pls tell me u joking. Was the cars theirs to keep in d first place? M happy that those who hitherto think it's govt's property and they can do away with em are now being made to account for those properties

chukwudi44:
So that is your only concern? To be on the same level with you?

quite ur mouth dia! I know that it hurts u pretty bad but I ask this question. Was it theirs to keep in the first place? Now both of us go dey use unofficial number plates. Wail put if e too pain u.... Expecting ur master barcanista to write an article on this.

Mtcheeeew. So, Wike had decided to continue in Jonathan's footsteps abi? Must he be soo overt about his religion? Ain't there Muslims in that state? Or is he a governor of the Christians only?

If he's to do that, some of your peace committee members won't be spared o

Who still takes this one serious? Ogbeni to be noticed again, u've gotta do a Kaithlyn Jenner

Make APC still dey try shut up na. they just running their mouth putting more pressure on PMB. Abeg allow Baba do his job the way he deems fit. I believe Buhari but I don't believe APC

Good! At least that my neighbor that had one hilux, one lexus SUV and a Toyota Prado all with presidency number plates is now gonna return them. Thank God Kelson won't be able to use the SUVs and the fact that police doesn't stop him for searching when on any of those vehicles to... Now we're the same. Buhari thank you o

lalasticlala:
Pretty Linda Ikeji

. Bia lalasticlala, no abuse that word pretty again o. Wetin dey pretty for this her body? She's just average jare. Pretty ko pretty ni.... BTW, na her photo studio be that gate? Looking forward to when she'll be getting married to see if her pre-wedding photos will also be snapped @ that gate

In a way, this is totally senseless. Will the grounding of economic activities bring the dead boy back to life? The greatest honor they could do for him is by prevailing on the community head, their representative in both the state and federal legislatures to prevail on the govt to build speed breaks to prevent a re-occurrence and not by going about constituting a nuisance by grounding economic activities and punishing travelers. Funniest part of it all is if their representatives(from councillor to Senator) is passing, they'll hail him and let him pass

Ephemmm:
Funny! But how do you guys detect?

I saw their chats and she opened up na

cybertyrant:
oops sorry, i forgot u were the psycopath everyone talks about on nairaland.(<in a low voice> how come i forget so fast, so it is that handie that always wear foot socks on his hand, hmm i better keep quiet before the psycopath cells react)

May God help u with some sense..... U are in dire need of it

cybertyrant:
I HOPE U ARE TRUELY GOING TO DIE FOR UR COUNTRY,NT A YORUBA MINDSET,YORUBAS I WANT YOU TO PROVE TO IGBOS AND BIAFRA AS A WHOLE U CAN BEAT THEM AND I ASURE U THAT WHEN U ARE THROUGH KILL US ALL,WE WILL SURRENDER TO U IN OUR GRAVES AND THEN DROWN OUR CHILDREN IN UR LAGOON,BUT IF U SHOW UR COWARDICE THEN WE WILL MAKE FUN OF U AND HELP HAND U TO BOKO HARAM,U GUYS DNT KNW WHAT HAS BEFALLEN U, I BET U SYRIA WAR WILL BE FAR MORE BETTER THAN THE NEXT NIGERIA WAR, WHEN WE A DONE WITH NIGERIA WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT NAME DOES NOT EXIST,AS FOR UR SLAVE MASTERS THE HAUSAS,I HAVE NOTHING FOR THEM,THEY DUG THEIR GRAVE WHEN THEY INVENTED BOKO HARAM,SOMEBODY HELP ME HAIL THE YORUBAWUSA STATE OF ISWAP, ALL HAIL IPOB(BIAFRA) AND CIPOK(KURDISTAN)

Them don really wash this one brain with hypo and jik. Sorry o

cybertyrant:
bro its a sad one indeed for my so called niger delta brothers,i hope our excuse comes quickly so as to declare biafra on 25th of december,this will help bring those of us in lagos and abuja to come for christmas back home, and i pray that boko haram captures and destroys half before we commence, as a biafran i want to give nigeria a secret,why is it that it is when pmb talked about manufacturin guns locally that the usa lifted its arm embargo,hmm wat does that tell u,it means that the usa does not want a black nation to be independent on weapons thereby making other african country to stop buying from the usa,thereby reducing the economy,when biafra comes we will never buy weapons,we will make africa weapons,we wil make nuclear weapons

Biafran war monger. If war start, na u go first run..... After Nnamdi Kalu has bolted

I'll wish him a happy birthday when he finally deems it fit to apologize to the Abiola family and Nigeria on the June 12 1993 election annulment, apologize to Nigerians for the Structural adjustment program he introduced(which did more harm than good), give a proper account of d monies accrued by sales of oil during the gulf war, and also apologize to Nigerians for instituting corruption. Do this and I'll wish u a happy birthday

priscaoge:
Dur!!!!

window!!!!!

priscaoge:
Can u imagine

no I cant