Alleging financial irregularities and abuse of office, former senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna Central has demanded an exhaustive probe of Nasir El-Rufai’s eight years as governor of Kaduna State.
In a press conference held in Kaduna, Sani demanded that anti-corruption and security authorities investigate what he claimed to be the waste of hundreds of billions of Naira in public monies between 2015 to 2023.
In particular, he demanded that the EFCC take responsibility when the Kaduna State House of Assembly announced an indictment.
He defined the time under consideration as one of the most difficult in the history of the state, characterised by poverty, insecurity, demolitions, and suspected human rights violations.
The former congressman also voiced his displeasure with what he saw as the period’s “eroding democratic values,” referencing the imprisonment of prominent figures in the media, religious leaders, and community organisations.
Political activist Abubakar Idris, well known by his stage as Dadiyata, has been missing since 2019, and Sani has called on security services to step up their investigations into his absence. He was responding to El-Rufai’s recent criticism of the present government in an interview with Arise TV.
Sani chastised El-Rufai, saying that he shouldn’t cast aspersions on the administration that El-Rufai had supported during the 2023 general elections because his remarks were contradictory.
“One cannot advocate for one political candidate while simultaneously criticising their administration,” he averred.
Based on his assessment of the ruling party’s performance in certain regions of the state during the most recent elections, Sani asserted that El-Rufai’s political clout diminished prior to his departure.
He spoke highly of the security measures taken by Gov. Uba Sani and called on the people to back the continuous peace-building initiatives.
The importance of having competent, honest, and nationally cohesive leaders was stressed by Sani as he reiterated his support for Tinubu and himself in the run-up to the 2027 general election.
In addition to calling for issue-based and constructive opposition politics, he emphasised the importance of political actors respecting zoning and power rotation rules.