Shehu Sani, a former Senator who represented the Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2019, has publicly criticized former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, branding him a “midget professor” and accusing him of being a “jobless, frustrated ex-governor” intent on discrediting the current administration.
The controversy erupted following El-Rufai’s recent comments at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy, where he criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) for what he described as a “one-man show” and a governance crisis amounting to a “national emergency.” El-Rufai had accused the Tinubu-led government of aiming to destroy opposition parties and lamented the leadership quality in Nigeria, stating, “You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today.”
In response, Sani took to his official X handle to denounce El-Rufai’s remarks. He accused the former governor of hypocrisy and tyranny during his tenure, stating, “Out of power, he is sanctimoniously preaching democracy to the country he helped to wreck, plundered and persecuted.” Sani further criticized El-Rufai for his past demonization of opposition parties, saying, “He demonized the opposition when in the palace and now embracing them when in the wilderness.”
Sani also suggested that El-Rufai’s criticisms are motivated by personal frustration from not securing a governmental position, likening him to “a man who is turned down by a woman and resorted to speaking ill of her.” The government is led by illiterates because they refused to hire professor midget.”, he added.
He remarked, “Tinubu was his angel until when he was ‘evicted from the house’ now telling the world he is a demon.” Sani added, “He is now jobless, most times seeking to be invited to northern public events where he will whip up sectional sentiments.”
This exchange highlights the ongoing political frictions within Nigeria’s ruling party and the broader political landscape, as former allies turn into vocal critics in the public sphere.