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Tag: Shehu Sani

  • Judiciary killing democracy in Nigeria – Shehu Sani

    Judiciary killing democracy in Nigeria – Shehu Sani

    Shehu Sani, the former Kaduna Central senator has expressed distrust in the nation’s judiciary, describing it as the coffin of democracy in Nigeria.

    Sani made this point while reacting to the Appeal Court judgement that sacked Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Appeal Court had set aside the judgement of the governorship election tribunal that upheld the election of Mutfwang as governor of the state.

    The court declared Dr Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the governorship election while ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a fresh certificate of return to him.

    Reacting, Sani said the verdict of the appellate court was unfortunate and unacceptable.

    Posting on X, Sani wrote: “The Court of Appeal judgement against the electoral victory of the Plateau State Governor is unfortunate, unacceptable, and condemnable.

    “A broad daylight heist of the will of the people. The bench is becoming the coffin of democracy.”

  • Mr Ibu is my favourite comedian – Shehu Sani

    Mr Ibu is my favourite comedian – Shehu Sani

    The former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has revealed John Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu is his favourite comic actor.

    Sani promised to do all he can to help the ailing Nollywood actor.

    Recall the actor took to social media on Wednesday to seek public assistance as he battles an ailment that may cost him his leg.

    The video he shared on his Instagram page has generated wide range of reactions from sympathisers.

    “Mr Ibu is my favorite artist and comedian. He lights up and entertains the homes of millions of Nigerians.

    “We shall not let him down for reasons we can all collectively solve. We shall do the needful and also bring the attention of the big names to do the needful,” Sani said.

  • Shehu Sani predicts what will happen if court sacks Tinubu

    Shehu Sani predicts what will happen if court sacks Tinubu

    A former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has predicted what might happen to President Bola Tinubu if the presidential election tribunal rules against him.

    Sani said only God will save him from the mouth of a certain “Kaduna emperor” if the tribunal sacks him.

    However, he said the opposition might congratulate him if the tribunal affirms his victory.

    Tweeting, he said the “Kaduna emperor” would severely criticise Tinubu in his next book.

    “If the court favours Tinubu and his victory is affirmed, the opposition may Congratulate him or Condemn the ruling and move on.

    “If the Court ruled against Tinubu and he lost the Presidency, only God will save him from the mouth of the ex-Kaduna emperor and his next Book “How we made him and he betrayed us,” he wrote.

    Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, are challenging Tinubu’s victory.

    They accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of declaring Tinubu the winner of the presidential election despite not polling enough votes.

     

  • Defence Minister’s office shouldn’t be political – Sani knocks Tinubu

    Defence Minister’s office shouldn’t be political – Sani knocks Tinubu

    A former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani has knocked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Mohammed Badaru as the Minister of Defence.

    Sani said the president shouldn’t have appointed a politician as the Defence Minister when the country is facing security challenges

    He noted that the ministry should have been given to a retired military officer with records of accomplishments.

    Tweeting, Sani wrote: “In view of the security challenges faced by this country, I thought the Defence Minister should be a retired Military officer with experience and records of accomplishments.

    “That office shouldn’t be just political, especially at this time.”

  • Why there is increased coup d’etat in W/Africa- Shehu Sani

    Why there is increased coup d’etat in W/Africa- Shehu Sani

    Former member of the National Assembly Sen. Shehu Sani has identified five reasons for the increasing reemergence of military takeover of governments in West African sub-region.

    Sani frowned at what he considers the increasing reemergence of juntas in the politics of especially West African countries but maintained that they keep recurring because the conditions were being created for them to return.

    “We have seen in the past few years how democracies in the West African sub-region have collapsed. It has happened in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and now Niger Republic.

    “Coup d’etats are internal issues and they do not happen within a day. Conditions are created for the military to take over power. And in West Africa today there are about five conditions that I have noted to be responsible.

    “First is the destruction of democratic values. Elections are rigged. Many people who call themselves democrats have no respect for the Rule of Law. And the constitutions are consistently violated.

    “When that is done the spirit of democracy is killed and the seed for the destruction of democracy is planted.

    “Second, is economic in-equity and inequality. There is so much poverty in the land. And when you have poverty, you have social dislocation and social crisis. By that, an atmosphere of illegal overthrow of the government is created and gives justification for people to say democracy is not working because people are suffering, so the military needs to take over.

    Sani who was the Deputy Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in the 8th National Assembly identified the third reason as the issue of insecurity.

    “The rise of terror groups in the Sahel – Boko Haram, the ANSARU, ISWAP – has made civilian authorities become dependent on the military for their safety and security.

    “There is so much reliance on them. And that has given them that thinking and the mental redirection that they should be in charge.

    “The fourth has to do with the fact that there is no coordinated attempt to save democracy in Africa. You find that whenever there is a coup there is no coordinated strategy or penalty for coups. And they happen and continue to happen.

    “So, the coup in Niger could have been prevented if the democracy was saved.

    “Fifth reason: There are issues regarding the election of Niger’s ousted president Mohammed Bazoum which ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) closed their eyes to.

    “Look at it this way. In Cote d ‘Ivoire Alassane Ouattara tinkered with the constitution as president and gave himself a third-term mandate. The ECOWAS and AU never raised an issue with that.

    “The President of the Central African Republic today has tinkered with the constitution and given himself a tenure extension. The same thing has happened in Burundi. The AU and other sub-regional groups don’t raise questions,” he added.

    According to him, a situation where democratic governance in member states deteriorates and regional and sub-regional bodies in the continent decide to speak out only when coups happen can always lead to military takeover of government.

  • Implications of ECOWAS military invasion of Niger for Nigeria – Shehu Sani

    Implications of ECOWAS military invasion of Niger for Nigeria – Shehu Sani

    Sen. Shehu Sani, a former Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, says military incursion into Niger Republic by an ECOWAS standby force will be synonymous with a declaration of war by Nigeria.

    Sani expressed this thought in an interview with NAN in Abuja.

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Thursday that it had ordered the deployment of a “standby force’’ to Niger to restore constitutional order in the country.

    The order was given after the junta who took over power from President Mohamed Bazoum on July 2, defied an Aug. 6 ultimatum issued by ECOWAS leaders for the junta to revert to status quo.

    Sani said there was nothing wrong in applying pressure on the junta in Niger after the coup but deploying military force against the junta in the Francophone country sharing the northern border with Nigeria had a lot of implications.

    “Armed invasion of Niger by ECOWAS will simply be a war between Nigeria and Niger because Nigeria foots the bills of ECOWAS.

    “If we are going to get into war with the Nger Republic, what will be the future of states like Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Sokoto, Yobe, and Borno that share borders with Niger? What will be the fate of people living in these areas?

    “Right now there are more than 303,000 Nigerian refugees that were sacked by terrorist groups living in villages in Niger Republic,’’ he said.

    According to him, in the 1990s, the West pledged support for Nigeria and for the Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to move into Liberia, and Sierra Leone to restore peace and Nigeria took the mandate on the basis that they would get the support they needed.

    “Nigeria moved into Liberia and the Francophone countries refused to join the ECOMOG. Senegal joined but after a few of its soldiers were killed it pulled out leaving only Nigeria and a few other smaller West African countries.

    “Only one person served as an ECOMOG commander from Ghana. All the other commanders from the beginning to the end of the war were Nigerian.

    “Nigeria ended up spending 8 billion dollars according to figures provided recently by the former Chief of Defense Staff Lt.-Gen. Lucky Irabor.

    “These were monies that could have been used to connect the states by railway lines but we blew it in Liberia and the support never came,” he said.

    According to him, If we get into an armed confrontation with Niger Republic, in the 21st century there is no one-week war. There is no one-month war. It is years of war.

    “Saudi Arabia moved its troops into Yemen, thinking that would bring an end to Houthi rebels and restore order. But it is still there now for five to six years.

    “Russia moved into Ukraine thinking it would bring an end to the Ukraine government but it is still there for more than a year. America went to war in Afghanistan and it fought the war with the Taliban for 20 years – 2001 to 2021 – only to pull out leaving the Taliban to take back power.

    “What resources do we have to prosecute a war? Does our military have the experience to fight a war in the Sahel, or the desert?

    “The coup happened when the French and U.S. had military bases in Niger.

    “If these could not stop the coup, they could not protect Bazoum, and they could not restore Bazoum to power, is it the Nigerian army that has security challenges in Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Plateau, Nasarawa that will neglect these places and go fight a war in Niger?,” he questioned.

  • Tinubu inviting trouble to his government by bringing El-Rufai, says Shehu Sani

    Tinubu inviting trouble to his government by bringing El-Rufai, says Shehu Sani

    Former senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial district, Shehu Sani, has said President Bola Tinubu invited trouble to his government by bringing Nasir El-Rufai into his administration as a minister.

    Sani while featuring on a Channels TV programme on Saturday said that El-Rufai would cause conflict between Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as he allegedly did during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Scrutinising Tinubu’s ministerial nominees’ list, the former senator said: “I have seen people that are undeserving to even contemplate them being ministers and particularly is the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.

    “Unfortunately, President Tinubu will pick El-Rufai and I don’t know for any reason why he should do that. And I have my point and I believe that if President Tinubu is listening to me or any person, a friend, a supporter, or a fan who is close, I will make some prophecies about what is going to happen with El-Rufai in this government in the next few years.

    “First of all, if you are nominating El-Rufai based on integrity and transparency and you said maybe you shouldn’t appoint or nominate former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje on the issues of allegations that have been online over time, and he (El-Rufai) too has allegations against him, because there has been an outstanding issue of N32 billion federal government property against El-Rufai, which issue is now in court.”

    Sani explained that his trial was stalled in 2015 after he was elected governor of Kaduna State, adding, “That issue is there before Justice Binta Nyako in the Federal High Court.”

    “Secondly, this government has run under the ticket of Muslim-Muslim ticket and it has been doing everything possible to appease and please the Christian population in this country that the government is not about theocracy.” “That’s not about Islamisation and is not about any religious agenda but simply a political strategy to win an election but here you are enlisting and employing a man who has by his record and by his antecedent and his conduct and utterances; has appeared to be most intolerant Nigerian in the history of this country.”

    Speaking on a recent video clips where El-Rufai made a cynical statement about the Muslim-Muslim government in the country, Sani asked why President Tinubu appointed El-Rufai as a minister.

    “A video has been in circulation where this person has made a statement on religious agenda in this country and by that, he has irritated and triggered a national conversation as long as this issue of government is concerned and now you are bringing him close to you.

    “But for all I know there are many people who have supported and worked for Tinubu and Tinubu has been reputed to have always selected the best from his state and has been able to make a record out of that.

    “So it was expected that the list of ministers that he is going to present before the country should take cognizance of the time that this has lasted and that they are going to be any of these two first of all is going to be a clear break from the past and secondly, there should be men of integrity, honour, and competency.”

    Asked if it looks like a break from the past, Sani said, “It is not a break from the past because El-Rufai served as a minister under the Obasanjo administration and I believe he also served as a governor. Is there no person in this country that is qualified enough from Kaduna State to be appointed minister?”

    On whether El-Rufai can do well in Tinubu’s government, Sani said, “Obasanjo and Tinubu are two different people and there are many things that happened under Obasanjo regime and I believe Tinubu is simply inviting trouble and danger to himself by inviting El-Rufai to his government.

    “Take for example, this El-Rufai in Tinubu’s Government I know there are three things that are going to happen; first of all, he will plot against Shettima and he is going to plant discord between Tinubu and Shettima. He has a track record of doing that: he did that between Atiku and Obasanjo. El-Rufai was at the centre of what happened between Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar.

    “Secondly, El-Rufai will not limit himself to the ministry. If you set him to works, aviation, or power, he will not limit himself to his ministry, he will meddle in every ministry in government and he did that. When he was the FCT minister, he fought Kema Chikwe, who was Minister of Aviation, he fought Adamu Bello who was Minister of Agriculture.”

    Sani stressed that El-Rufai also fought the head of service in the Obasanjo government.

     

  • Ministerial List: Sani knocks President Tinubu over inclusion of Nasir el-Rufai

    Ministerial List: Sani knocks President Tinubu over inclusion of Nasir el-Rufai

    Shehu Sani, a former Senator, author, playwright, and human rights activist has described as a big disappointment the ministerial list recently released by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Sani, while featuring on a political programme on ARISE TV, criticised the inclusion of the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, in the ministerial list recently released to the Senate.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Tinubu sent 28 ministerial nominees to the Senate through Femi Gbajabiamila, his Chief of Staff and former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the names of ministerial nominees, including those of four former governors, on the floor of the Senate.

    But Senator Shehu Sani while reacting to the inclusion of El-Rufai, opined that Tinubu did not consider competence in the list, saying that el-Rufai was a “tragedy.”

    According to Shehu Sani, “With the nominations which I have seen, the one representing Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, is a tragedy.”

    Sani wondered why such a man is given an opportunity to serve the country with all that he has done and has said in office in the past.

    According to him, President Tinubu only tried to please some former governors and in the process displeasing many Nigerians.

    He enjoined the president to always consider the interest of Nigerians and not trying to appease some selected few politicians.

    Continuing, Sani noted that in the last eight years, Nigerians suffered in the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and that the president should know this is the best time to prove his competence and capacity to lead Nigeria to greater heights.

  • Buharists now orphans in APC – Shehu Sani

    Buharists now orphans in APC – Shehu Sani

    Senator Shehu Sani has mocked former President Muhammadu Buhari’s camp in the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the resignation of Abdullahi Adamu as the party’s National Chairman.

    Adamu tendered his resignation letter on Sunday night. Subsequently, Senator Abubakar Kyari, APC Deputy National Chairman (North), took over the affairs of the party.

    Adamu is said to be an ardent supporter of the former president.

    It was alleged that Adamu worked against the emergence of President Bola Tinubu prior to the presidential primaries and even after he emerged as the candidate of the party.

    Sani, in a post via his verified Twitter handle on Monday, following confirmation of Adamu’s resignation, made a veiled remark mocking Buhari’s supporters in the APC.

    He said, “The Buharists are now orphans; they are purged in their party.”

     

  • Palliative: Buhari’s N10k inflicted poverty, pray before accepting Tinubu’s N8k – Shehu Sani

    Palliative: Buhari’s N10k inflicted poverty, pray before accepting Tinubu’s N8k – Shehu Sani

    Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani has warned Nigerians over the N8,000 palliative from President Bola Tinubu’s administration.a

    Recall that President Tinubu  has asked the senate to approve a borrowing request of $800 million.

    Tinubu said 12 million families will get N8, 000 over a period of six months to help cushion the economic hardship being faced by all Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy.

    Reacting to the development,
    Sani said Nigerians should pray before collecting the N8,000 from Tinubu’s administration.

    He claimed that those who collected the “jazzed” N10,000 under former President Muhammadu Buhari ended up in poverty.

    Tweeting, Sani wrote: “People who collected Buhari’s ‘jazzed’ 10k ended up in deeper poverty. Pray before you collect the next 8k.”