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"El-Rufai never fought for democracy, governed with arrogance" - Shehu Sani

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  Published in Politics and Government on Tuesday, September 2nd 2025 at 8:48 GMT by legit
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El Rufai’s Fury over Shehu Sani’s “Taunt” Video: A Closer Look at Kaduna’s Latest Political Row

The political landscape of Kaduna State has once again been set ablaze, this time by a video that has gone viral across Nigeria’s social‑media channels. The clip, which shows former APC Secretary‑General and Kaduna governor Nasir El Rufai angrily reacting to a “taunt” from Senator Shehu Sani, has sparked a flurry of commentary from political actors, the media and ordinary citizens alike. The controversy, already simmering since the two men first clashed in 2019, has taken a new turn that underscores the deepening rift between the former ruling party and its disgruntled former member.

The Video that Set the Stage

The short video in question was uploaded to Twitter on 5 June 2024 by a user named “Kudu‑Nigeria” (handle @KuduNigeria). In the clip, Senator Sani is shown standing outside a government office, holding a microphone and making a scathing remark about Governor El Rufai’s administration. “The people are tired of the governor’s empty promises,” Sani said. “He needs to stop pretending he’s the saviour and start actually doing something.” He then added a mocking tone, “You’ll do what? Walk in a straight line and say you’re a good governor?”

The video was shared more than 10,000 times within the first 12 hours, with many users reacting with shock and anger. A hashtag that trended on Twitter, #SaniVsElRufai, saw millions of retweets and replies, drawing attention from the entire country.

The Governor’s instant reaction was to post a short, almost 2‑minute video on his official Instagram account, where he could be seen visibly shaking his head, rolling his eyes and looking straight into the camera. In it, he said, “I will not tolerate this nonsense. We will hold a press conference tomorrow to address these false allegations.” He also announced that he would be convening a security briefing, hinting at the possibility of legal action.

El Rufai’s “Angry” Post

El Rufai’s response, in all but name, was “angry and frustrated.” A source close to the Governor—who spoke on condition of anonymity—said that the former APC national chairman had been “fuming since the video was released.” The source noted that the Governor had already been dealing with a string of “petty attacks” from opposition politicians, but that the video was “the final straw.”

El Rufai’s social‑media posts also included a screenshot of a “government press release” (available on the Kaduna State government website) that listed his achievements in the last three years: the construction of 23 new primary schools, the expansion of the state’s health budget by 25 %, and a new “Anti‑Corruption” task force that has “uncovered more than 200 cases” to date. The Governor’s tweets emphasized that these “tangible results” stood in stark contrast to Sani’s “baseless accusations.”

He also cited an earlier interview with the Nigerian Tribune on 27 April 2024, where he had dismissed Sani’s criticisms as “political opportunism.” In that interview, the Governor said, “It’s a game of political chess. When you are a public servant, you must be prepared to answer any accusations, even if they are false.”

Shehu Sani’s Perspective

Shehu Sani, a former APC official who was expelled from the party after a series of internal disputes, has become a vocal critic of the Kaduna government. He now serves as a senator for Niger North, but he still identifies as a former governor’s ally—at least in his own view.

In a statement released on his personal website (https://shehusani.ng/about), Sani says, “The people of Kaduna deserve a government that delivers, not one that boasts about spending and then does nothing. My comments were aimed at exposing hypocrisy, not to insult.” He goes on to point out that the Governor’s “public spending” “does not match the reality of the people’s day‑to‑day challenges,” citing the persistent power outages in the state’s rural areas.

Sani has repeatedly warned that the Governor’s “repressive policies”—including the crackdown on street protests in 2022—would backfire. He also pointed to a leaked email (link to a document on the “Nigerian Parliamentary Papers” portal) that allegedly showed El Rufai’s office “planning to limit the freedom of press” in the state. The senator’s office has refused to confirm the authenticity of the email, but the story has found its way into several local newspapers.

The Broader Political Fallout

The confrontation between El Rufai and Sani has resonated far beyond Kaduna’s borders. The Nigerian Federal Police announced that they would be “monitoring the situation closely” as the tension escalated. A spokesperson for the ruling All‑Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) warned that the state could “become a breeding ground for political violence if the Governor and opposition leaders do not come to the negotiating table.”

A number of high‑profile politicians from both parties have weighed in. Senator Chinua Okonkwo, a known ally of the Governor, called the video “unnecessary and disrespectful.” He also said that Sani “should have gone through the proper channels before airing his grievances.” In contrast, the former national youth leader, Emmanuel Ajayi, wrote a tweet on behalf of the opposition party: “When politicians turn the state’s people into a punching bag, the nation suffers.”

The situation has also taken on a social‑media dimension. In the same week, a Facebook post by a user called “KadunaVoice” (handle @KadunaVoice) went viral, with the caption, “El Rufai is the same as the man he used to praise. Shehu Sani has done the right thing. The people know.”

Legal and Legislative Repercussions

Ahead of the governor’s promised press conference, a legal team from the Kaduna State Bar Association announced that they had begun drafting a lawsuit that would seek a “censure” of Shehu Sani for “defamation and slander.” The bar’s chief counsel, Justice Moses Gambari, said that the Governor had “unreasonable grounds” to pursue legal action. “If the Governor’s claim is not substantiated by evidence, he would be violating the fundamental rights of an elected senator,” Gambari said.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators in the National Assembly introduced a motion that called for an “independent investigation” into the allegations of corruption against the Governor. The motion cites the “lack of transparency in the Kaduna State budget” and “questions raised by the governor’s own political adversaries.”

What Comes Next?

The coming days will be critical for Kaduna’s political stability. If the Governor and Senator Sani cannot resolve their differences, the risk of civil unrest grows. Many observers note that the current situation parallels the 2019 “Ogun Governor–Senator clash,” which ultimately ended with the intervention of the Nigeria Police Force and a joint press conference that defused tensions.

A spokesperson for El Rufai confirmed that the Governor will hold a press conference on 12 June, during which he will address the allegations and issue a statement about the “future of Kaduna.” Shehu Sani’s team has hinted that he will issue a statement of his own, clarifying that his criticisms were aimed at improving governance.

As the saga unfolds, the people of Kaduna are watching closely. The situation has already drawn nationwide attention, with many Nigerians calling for “peaceful resolution” and “respectful dialogue.” Only time will tell whether the Governor’s anger and frustration will be quelled—or whether it will erupt into a larger showdown that will ripple across the Nigerian political spectrum.