Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has argued that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, played no role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics Tonight on Monday, Sani compared his own political journey with El-Rufai’s, stressing that their paths into public service were fundamentally different.
“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.
Shehu Sani: ‘I wore prison uniforms and leg chains’
Recounting his experiences under military rule, the activist-turned-politician said his path was defined by sacrifices, persecution, and imprisonment.
“As you see me here, I have been through the rough times of my life. I’ve been through many prisons, I have been through many police stations. I wore prison uniforms,” he recalled.
“I wore leg chains, I wore handcuffs as a political prisoner fighting for this democracy that is 25 years old,” he added.
El-Rufai rose after 1999, says Sani
According to Sani, while he and other activists endured hardship to push for democracy, El-Rufai’s political rise came much later, through opportunities that opened up after Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
He stressed that El-Rufai’s entry into politics was not shaped by the struggles that birthed democracy, but rather by party politics and public office appointments.
Sani’s remarks come amid renewed debates over the legacies of Nigeria’s pro-democracy activists and the roles of politicians who emerged in the Fourth Republic.
