Former Senator Shehu Sani has intensified his long-running critique of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, framing El-Rufai’s recent political comments as a display of hypocrisy.
Sani’s statement, delivered via his social media platforms, directly addressed El-Rufai’s recent public utterances on national political issues. The former senator’s remarks, which read, “The Governor who deducted and diverted Local Government allocations for eight years and specifically targeted and impoverished Southern Kaduna Local Governments accounts for eight years…without being impeached is now talking about Federal deductions and impeachment!” came in response to El-Rufai’s criticisms of the current Federal Government.
El-Rufai, a former governor known for his blunt and often controversial commentary, has recently been vocal about the financial decisions of the Bola Tinubu administration, as well as raising the spectre of impeachment as a political tool. This commentary has been interpreted by Sani as a classic case of a pot calling the kettle black.
The former senator’s attack draws on specific, long-standing allegations from El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure as Kaduna governor. During this period, El-Rufai’s administration faced persistent accusations—including from local government officials and civil society groups—of illegally withholding and diverting funds meant for local councils. These allegations were particularly pointed in reference to Southern Kaduna, a region that experienced significant ethno-religious conflicts and was often at odds with El-Rufai’s government. Critics from the region claimed that the governor’s policies, including financial deductions, were a form of political punishment and contributed to the area’s underdevelopment.
Sani’s post suggests that El-Rufai’s past actions render him unfit to comment on fiscal prudence or to lecture on good governance at the federal level. By highlighting the fact that El-Rufai himself was not impeached despite these allegations, Sani appears to be questioning the moral authority of the former governor. The fiery exchange is the latest in a series of public confrontations between the two political rivals, who have frequently traded barbs over issues of governance, security, and political loyalty in Kaduna State and at the national level.
