From Ismail Omipidan, Abuja
“Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.”
The above quote from Sun Tzu, a Chinese general and military strategist appears apt in contextualising the seemingly political battle between Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Uba Sani and his political associate, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
El-Rufai is the immediate past governor of the state. He was said to have been very reluctant in endorsing Sani ‘s candidature in the build up to the 2023 governorship contest.
Since assuming office, Sani appears to have taken steps interpreted in some quarters as being deliberate to spite El-Rufai. Apart from dismantling some of the political structures put in place by El-Rufai, the arrest and prosecution of some of the close aides of El-Rufai is seen as part of larger plot to emasculate the former governor politically.
The reinstatement, on Wednesday, of Jonathan Zamuna, the traditional ruler of Piriga, who was deposed by El-Rufai in May 2023, over communal clashes between Gure and Kitimi communities and his non-residence within the chiefdom, is seen by political analysts as a further testament to the frosty political relationship between the hitherto jolly good political associates.
In reinstating the traditional ruler, Sani said his action is in line with the commitment of his administration to the rule of law and due process and in compliance with the judgment of Kaduna State Industrial Court.
He appealed to the stakeholders in the community in particular and citizens of Kaduna in general, to take a moment and reflect deeply on their past actions and how they have impacted positively or negatively Kaduna State.
“Have our actions fostered peace and understanding or deepened divisions in our State? Going forward, what must we as individuals, leaders or groups do to sustain the prevailing peace in Kaduna State?
“I raised those posers because of the critical role that leaders play in transforming societies or retarding its progress. Our administration stands for the rule of law, due process and justice. That is why we did not waste time in complying with the judgement of the Kaduna State Industrial Court on the reinstatement of the Chief of Piriga Chiefdom.
“As the Governor of Kaduna State, I am committed to providing the necessary leadership required to transform our state into a model of development and peaceful coexistence. We have made remarkable progress in extending socioeconomic infrastructure to the 23 local governments and revitalising critical sectors like agriculture, health and education. Through our social intervention programmes, we have been bringing succour to the poor, vulnerable and underserved in Kaduna State.
“Our administration has recorded major milestones in the area of security. We have forged strong partnerships with security forces and have sustained our logistical support to federal and local security agencies.
“Through the Peace Dialogue Group, we have restored peace and stability to conflict – impacted areas of Kaduna State. We are, however, not resting on our oars. We shall continue to adopt all measures necessary to sustain the prevailing peace in our state to enable us quicken the pace of development,” Governor Sani said.
While congratulating the reinstated monarch, the governor urged him to serve his people with dedication, courage and compassion, so as to make the Piriga Chiefdom a model of development and peaceful coexistence in Kaduna State.
Responding, the reinstated monarch, Zamuna, commended the Sani- led administration for upholding the rule of law, fostering unity, peace and development and for delivering on his campaign promises.
Although, Zamuna was not the only one deposed, it is unclear if others similarly affected would enjoy the same treatment. What is, however, clear is that the political gap between Sani and El-Rufai is getting widened by the day.
Daily Sun recalls that El-Rufai had personally waged a political war against Senator Shehu Sani, with sole intention of throwing up Uba Sani as his replacement.
In 2015, Shehu Sani won election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent Kaduna Central Senatorial District. But himself and El-Rufai were never on the same page for the better part of the four years Sani spent in the Senate.
However, in the build up to the 2019 election, national party officials tried to force Senator Sani on El-Rufai.
Senator Sani, who was neither El-Rufai nor former President Muhammadu Buhari’s choice candidate for the position in 2015, had thought he had won the battle when he was declared the sole candidate of the APC for the 2019 contest, following Buhari’s intervention.
But his joy was cut short when his name was removed from the list of candidates sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the election by the leadership of the party.
Following what appeared like an uppercut from the El-Rufai’s camp to him, Senator Sani announced his resignation from the APC and joined the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
In the end, Senator Sani slugged it out with his old friend turned political foe, Uba Sani, who was the candidate of the APC at the time.
In 2007 and 2011, Uba Sani attempted to run on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But he did not go beyond the primary election. Like his namesake, Senator Sani also attempted to run on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in 2011, but he too did not go beyond the primary. He however made it in 2015.
But for the stern warning from the various stakeholders that formed the ruling APC to former President Muhammadu Buhari then, as the party’s candidate, not to interfere, Daily Sun gathered that Senator Sani would not have emerged candidate of the party, let alone win the senatorial election in 2015.
And since Uba Sani was backed by El-Rufai, the then governor, it was easier for him to defeat Senator Shehu Sani in 2019.
How Senator Shehu Sani fell out with El-Rufai
Politically speaking, El-Rufai and Senator Sani do not share anything in common. Before El-Rufai’s foray into politics, Sani was very active in his human rights activism. But the APC slogan, “Chanji Dole” (change by force), brought them together, towards the build up to the 2015 elections.
However, El-Rufai’s former Political Adviser and now Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Uba Sani, has so many things in common with Senator Sani. Daily Sun gathered that the two men, who are household names in the human rights community in Kaduna State, have at some point in their lives, lived together, under one roof, with attendant fraternal adventures.
In fact, some Kaduna residents had thought they were blood relations, owing to the similarity in their surname. But in the build up to the 2019 poll, they went their separate ways. However, today, they are back together, leaving El-Rufai out of their relationship.
Before the 2015 election, El-Rufai wanted Uba Sani to run, while Buhari preferred Senator Saleh. But in the end, Senator Sani floored Senator Saleh, who was the incumbent at the time at the party’s primary. After winning the election, however, Senator Sani constituted himself into a one-man opposition against El-Rufai’s policies in the state, thus making him a marked man from day one.
Between 2015 and 2017, he was suspended from the APC about three times. But none of the suspensions was ever ratified by the national leadership of the party. The climax of the crisis was the then senate’s refusal to grant Kaduna State’s request to secure a $350 million World Bank loan. Senator Sani played a prominent role in that regard. The governor was livid over the development. And he vowed to mobilise the people to ensure that Senator Sani was stopped from returning to the senate, for preventing the growth and development of the state, through his action.
In January 2016, Senator Sani was suspended from the party for 11 months, for allegedly criticising state’s policies publicly and for “portraying the governor in a bad light before the local and international communities.”
The suspension expired on Friday, December 2, 2016, but to the consternation of APC faithful in Kaduna, the lawmaker was again slammed another indefinite suspension.
Interestingly, on that day, some youths, attacked Senator Sani’s family house in Tudun Wada. But determined to avert a breakdown of law and order, policemen fired teargas canisters to disperse the irate youths.
By the next day, which was a Saturday, Senator Sani’s constituency office at Junction Road, Kaduna, was again attacked. Senator Sani fumed over the attack, saying “what is happening today in Kaduna is shameful and sad. It is unfortunate that Kaduna Central is the most dangerous place to be today in Nigeria,” the lawmaker said, adding that “whoever thinks he can silence me does not know my history. I have fought for democracy for over 30 years. El-Rufai’s has no capacity to confront me. And his men cannot suspend me from the party. How can a tenant sack his landlord?”
But reacting to the allegation, El-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Political Matters at the time, Mallam Uba Sani, asked Shehu Sani to stop his “political tantrum and grow up from being childish,” saying Sani was “only roaring because of his suspension from the party in the state.
“It has become imperative to set the records straight. Everyone knows that it is Shehu Sani that has spent 18 months attacking the governor personally and opposing every government policy. The state government has ignored his tantrums while the party has acted to uphold discipline. Shehu Sani should keep the government out of his woes.
“We are beneficiaries of democracy and we champion an open society. We respect democratic values and will never resort to unconstitutional means of settling differences. He should be careful not to make wild and unsubstantiated claims.”
Last line
For keen watchers of political events in Kaduna State, what is currently playing out between El-Rufai and Governor Uba Sani, is pleasantly surprising, considering the length the former governor went to ensure APC’s victory during the governorship in 2023.
If Governor Uba Sani wins his re-election without El-Rufai’s support, he will be making history as the second governor to win a second term without the support of the supposed political god-father. But if he loses, bouncing back politically may not be too easy for him, as other El-Rufai’s associates in the APC who may want to offer a helping hand appear not to trust him any longer, owing to what they perceived as his betrayal of El-Rufai. For the two estranged political associates, 2027 promises to be interesting, as well as intriguing.
