Senator Shehu Sanni representing Kaduna Central has alleged of plans by Governor Nasir El-Rufai to kill him.Sani, in a statement by his aide, Suleiman Ahmed, claimed that El-Rufai made the threat at a Town Hall meeting in Giwa Local Government on June 4.
In the statement “Hate speech and threat to life by Governor Nasiru El-Rufai against Distinguished Senator Shehu Sani”, Sanni said Nigerians should hold the governor responsible if anything untoward happened to him.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a hate speech and threat to life made by Governor Nasiru El-Rufai against Senator Shehu Sani in the Governor’s circus christened as Town Hall meeting in Giwa Local Government on June 4.
“The Governor evidently referred to Senator Sani, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Isa Ashiru Kudan as “Ants he will match and crush.” We could have ignored this statement as tantrums of an accidental governor, but we decided not to take things for granted in view of his mean and vicious history, and his allergy to criticism.
“We hold Governor El-Rufai responsible for any harm done to Sani. This statement is to alert security agencies and the public that in the event of any injury or assassination of Senator Shehu Sani, Governor Nasiru El-Rufai should be held responsible.
“We advice El-Rufai that he doesn’t need to “crush Ants” or spill the blood of Senator Shehu Sani and others to realise his political ambitions. Since he is not appeased with Sani’s “suspension”, he has now resorted to threats of crushing and matching.
“We wish to let governor El-Rufai know that threats of “crushing” or execution cannot deter us from our noble path in protecting our people from his brigandage.”
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State has said Sani should not be taken seriously.
Acting Publicity Secretary, Salisu Tanko Wusono said: “Crying wolf and insinuating that anyone wants to attack them further exposes them as lightweights. These are people clinging on straws, and trying to create mischief conscious of their political weakness as a coalition of the defeated, the deluded, the selfish and the discontented.
“Their leaders lost bids to become state chairman and governorship candidate. They were trounced by democratic means, and they know it. The same democratic instruments and the rules of the party is what they seek to undermine. Since 2014, they have been engaged in these irresponsible antics. The party is now saying no more.
“They have isolated themselves and demonstrated the inability to be disciplined or to commit to wider interests beyond their ego. The APC and its leaders have every right to warn them to desist from puerile politics. No one will be allowed to thwart the APC from deepening its roots and being strengthened as a party of the people, disciplined and focused on the public good,” Wusono said.