A Strong Response to Senator Shehu Sani’s Utterances Against El-Rufai -By Abdullahi Abubakar Ladan

Senator Shehu Sani’s recent comments labeling Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as a “liability to the APC” are not only laughable but also a classic case of biting the hand that once fed him. It is ironic that someone who owes his political relevance to El-Rufai’s support and the APC platform that Elrufai actively led in nurturing would now turn around to spew such baseless and bitter remarks. Let us take a trip down memory lane to remind Senator Sani of a few truths he seems to have conveniently forgotten.

In 2015, when Nasir El-Rufai was contesting for the governor of Kaduna state, he played a center role in ensuring Sen. Shehu Sani became a Senator under the APC platform. El-Rufai’s influence and political machinery were instrumental in Sani’s victory. However, by 2019, the same Shehu Sani had become a liability to the APC due to his divisive and unproductive politics. El-Rufai, as a leader who prioritizes the party’s progress, ensured Sani was shown the door. Since then, Sani’s political career has been on a steady decline, culminating in his embarrassing performance during the 2023 governorship primaries, where he managed to secure only one vote-a gesture of pity from a generous delegate.

Let us also remind Senator Sani that Nasir El-Rufai was one of the key architects of the APC’s formation in 2013. It was this same platform that gave Sani the opportunity to serve as a Senator. While El-Rufai was busy fighting for the party’s success, Shehu Sani was busy sharing transistor radios as his so-called constituency project. What legacy did Sani leave as a Senator? What tangible development did he bring to his ward, local government, or even Kaduna State? The answer is clear: nothing but noise and empty rhetoric.

El-Rufai’s political acumen and influence are undeniable. In 2014 and 2015, he was at the forefront of the battle against former President Goodluck Jonathan, contributing significantly to the APC’s historic victory. In 2019, he flew to Kano to ensure Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje’s re-election as Governor. In 2023, he was in Adamawa, fighting to install Senator Aishatu Binani as Governor-a struggle that only faltered when El-Rufai had to return to Kaduna to salvage the governorship election for his former friend, Governor Uba Sani. It was El-Rufai’s strategic intervention in just four local governments that turned the tide in Uba Sani’s favor, despite the opposition’s initial lead. Yet, he has shown what an ungrateful friend he is just so quickly, former friend i mean.

Meanwhile, what has Shehu Sani done for the APC or his constituents? His so-called achievements as a Senator are best remembered for the infamous distribution of transistor radios—a pitiful attempt at constituency representation. It is no wonder he has been relegated to the fringes of Nigerian politics, where he now resorts to making bitter and baseless statements to remain relevant. Ironically, he has reduced himself to the voluntary spokesperson and media team member of his so called friend who took his senate seat away from him in 2019, all in search of relevance.

Distinguished Senator Shehu Sani, instead of wasting energy on petty attacks, you should rather take a moment to reflect on your own political journey and the role El-Rufai played in it. If you have any meaningful contributions to make, I advise you focus on that rather than being remembered as the “Transistor Radio Senator.”

Nasir El-Rufai’s legacy as a progressive leader and nation-builder speaks for itself. No amount of bitter rhetoric from political has-beens like Shehu Sani can erase that.  Know this, and know peace. Onward to the future.