I Stepped Down for Governor Nasir El-Rufai because he was Buhari's choice - Senator Sani

Posted by Nicholas on Fri 21st Aug, 2015 - tori.ng

Senator Shehu Sani of the Kaduna Central Senatorial District, also said that his rift with the governor was due to ideological issues.

Shehu Sani, a Senator in Kaduna State, has stated that he was forced to drop his governorship ambition because he was informed that Governor Nasir El-Rufai had been chosen by President Buhari to occupy the position.

Shehu Sani, who represents the Kaduna Central Senatorial District, also said that his rift with the governor was due to ideological issues.

The senator made the comments on Friday, August 21, 2015, during an interview with Leadership.

He said:

“For the first time, let me tell you some background issues in the political divide in Kaduna. I never intended to contest for the Senate; I wanted to contest for the governorship and I opened offices in Zaria, Kaduna and Kafanchan, and later there was pressure on me that I should step down. Politicians came to meet me; that I should step down and allow el-Rufai to contest because they said he was the favourite of the president.”

“I pulled back and said I wanted to contest for the Senate, but there was a sitting senator, General Saleh, and I had to evict him during the primary election. And I told them in black and white that I didn’t have money to give any delegate, and if they feel OK with my principles, then let them vote for me, but if my principles are not right for them, let them go and vote for the same person (that was occupying the seat); and they voted for me and I removed an incumbent senator. So I didn’t contest against a vacuum.”

“If I had contested the governorship, there was no way that I wouldn’t have emerged; it’s not possible. So I sacrificed that and I contested the Senate and I won. Reports going on in the media is on the surface.”

Sani had earlier criticized El-Rufai for what he described as the governor's anti-people policies.