2025 Shehu Sani Insists El-Rufai Never Fought For Democracy

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has said that ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was not part of Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle.

Sani made the remarks amid the ongoing war of words between El-Rufai and the Kaduna State Government over the violent disruption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) transition committee inauguration in the state.

El-Rufai, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, had alleged that the state government sponsored the attack and accused security operatives of failing to protect citizens. He dismissed the police claim that the gathering was disrupted due to lack of prior notification, insisting he did not need police permission to exercise his constitutional right to freedom of association.

In response, the Kaduna State Government accused El-Rufai of attempting to destabilise the state through “provocation, manipulation, and lies.” A statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Suleiman Shuiabu, described his recent political meeting as “illegal and chaotic,” alleging it was an attempt to drag Kaduna back to its “dark and violent past.”

Speaking on TVC’s Politics Tonight, Sani contrasted his own political journey with El-Rufai’s, stressing that while he endured arrests, imprisonment, and persecution as an activist during the fight against military rule, El-Rufai rose to prominence after 1999 through party politics and public office.

“For people like Nasir, when they found themselves in a position or office, they don’t know what democracy is all about because they didn’t fight for it,” Sani said.

He recalled wearing prison uniforms, handcuffs, and leg chains as a political prisoner, underscoring his sacrifices for Nigeria’s 25-year democracy.