The relationship between the Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai and Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of the state, Shehu Sani, may have finally hit the rocks as the Tudun Wada ward of the All progressives congress, APC, in a letter to the senator dated December 27, said the suspension was for a period of eleven months and that henceforth, the senator is disengaged from partaking in or attending party activities in Kaduna State.
It will be recalled that the moves to suspend him had been the works for sometime now.
El-Rufai and Sani are both members of the APC, however share different views on matters of governance, ideology and how to move Kaduna State forward, making the 2 men glaringly poles apart.
After months of conflict between the duo the party in a letter signed by the Secretary of the ward, Ahmed Abdulhamid, the Public Relations Officer, Auwal Mai Anguwa, and Ex-official member, Aminu Alilan suspended Sani for a period of 11 months.
The party listed Sani’s offences to include; uttering statements that allegedly “violate the rules of engagement of the party, factionalizing the party, and engaging in anti-party activities by criticizing the policies of Governor Nasir El-Rufai.”
“Hardly a week passes by that his group will not be on air criticizing and challenging the enduring legacies of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that his statement on national issues is not in conformity with that of the state government and government of Kaduna State,” the statement read.
The leadership of the party in the state had last week sent a letter to Sani inviting him to appear before a disciplinary committee set up by the party’s acting Chairman, Shuaibu Idris to clear himself over what the party termed “anti party stand” of the senator.
However, Sani failed to appear as he refused to accept the invitation.
The rift started around July following the decision of the state government to ban street begging. That move did not go down well with Sani, who berated the governor for betraying the people that voted him into office.
Another source of friction that pulled the 2 men further apart was the composition of the state executive council, where Sani claimed that Elrufai failed to consult stakeholders before appointing commissioners.
Though there are unconfirmed speculations that Sani’s aggression towards El-Rufai is not unconnected to his alleged ambition to rule the state come 2019.