Senator Shehu Sani’s rumoured ambition to be governor of Kaduna state in 2019 is rocking the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading to his suspension from the party on Monday.
Sani, the senator representing Kaduna central senatorial district, was suspended for opposing the “enduring legacies” of Nasir el-Rufai, the state governor.
The suspension, which is for 11 months, was handed down to the senator via a letter dated December 27,2015 in his Tudun Wada ward of the party in the state.
Sani has often publicly criticised some of el-Rufai’s policies in the state, including the decision to ban beggars on Kaduna streets.
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He also strongly opposed the holding of a music festival in the state, describing it as a “jamboree”.
He had said in a media statement: “The upcoming multi million Naira Jamboree known as Kaduna music festival stands unreservedly condemned.
“The event is an indecent and immoral proposition and an affront to the People of Kaduna,the north and the whole of Nigeria struggling to survive economic hardships and pervasive insecurity.
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“It’s shameful,disgraceful,irresponsible and utterly insensitive that at this sorrowful and mournful season of bloodshed and economic difficulties,the Kaduna state Government and so called ‘Banks and the Private sector’ have jointly decided to feast,make merry and dance on the graves of victims of Boko Haram armed insurgency in the north.
“It’s callous and amount to insouciance that at a time when thousands of civil servants and pensioners across the nation remain unpaid, multi million naira is about to be wasted in a musical event.”
In an interview, Sani said el-Rufai is “running the state in such a way that he will end up ruining all of us, which I will not be part of. He has taken some steps which have only attracted anger from the general public against him”.
The suspension letter, signed by Ahmed Abdulhamid, the ward secretary of the party, Auwal Mai Anguwa, the PRO and Aminu Alilan, an ex-officio member, is effective “immediately”.
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“Hardly a week passes by without his (Sani’s) group being on air to criticise and challenge the enduring legacies of Mallam Nasir ElRufai,” the letter read.
The letter had it that Sani’s was perpetrating anti-party activities, driving factionalism in the state and party activities, and violating the rules of engagement.
The senator, who reacted to the suspension via his media aide, said the state arm of the party was dancing to the governor’s tunes.
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