Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has stated that the detained former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, is currently paying the price for what he described as misgovernance and irresponsibility during his eight years in office.
Sani made the remarks on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, while reacting to El-Rufai’s recent complaint that he had been abandoned by close allies and family members. According to Sani, losing allies after leaving power is a natural political reality, noting that he himself had experienced prolonged political isolation.
The former lawmaker alleged that El-Rufai demonstrated a blatant disregard for the rule of law while in office, accusing him of routinely disobeying court orders and arbitrarily jailing perceived opponents. He cited the case of journalist Luka Binyat, who was reportedly arrested and imprisoned for nearly a year over a published report, as well as the detention of 89 community leaders from Kachia Local Government Area who protested the killing of their leader.
Sani further alleged that Islamic clerics from Zaria and a university lecturer, John Danfulani, were also targeted for criticising the state government, while members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria remained in detention for years facing murder charges.
He also accused the El-Rufai administration of failing to intervene in the persistent killings by bandits and terrorists across Southern and Central Kaduna, claiming the government never provided meaningful support to security agencies.
El-Rufai, who is currently being detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over corruption allegations, has not yet responded to the latest accusations. The political feud between the two former allies dates back to their time in the All Progressives Congress, escalating when Sani opposed a $350 million World Bank loan requested by the El-Rufai administration.