El-Rufai vs Gen Musa: Shehu Sani Reacts, Mentions Those Living in Denial
- APC senator Shehu Sani called out Northern leaders for deflecting blame over decades of insecurity in the region
- Sani pointed to banditry and Boko Haram as crises that originated in the North and later spread to neighbouring countries
- The former Kaduna Central senator said Northerners blamed Jonathan, shielded Buhari, and are now turning on Tinubu
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Senator Shehu Sani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kaduna Central, has accused the Northern elite and the wider public of living in denial about what is driving insecurity across the region, saying many prefer to point fingers at outsiders rather than confront uncomfortable truths closer to home.
Sani made the remarks in a Facebook post on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, days after Defence Minister Christopher Musa publicly criticised former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai over allegations that he stoked crisis in Southern Kaduna while serving as governor. That criticism drew a backlash from many Northern voices, which appeared to prompt Sani's intervention.
Source: Twitter
Sani: Northern leaders failed to fix insecurity problem
The former senator argued that both banditry and Boko Haram terrorism did not arrive in the North from outside. He said criminal gangs gave rise to the banditry problem within the region before it spread nationwide, and that the Boko Haram insurgency, which later spilt into Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, also had its origins in Northern Nigeria.
Sani said the pattern of blame-shifting has followed a predictable path across three administrations. He argued that Northerners blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan for insecurity, then "skipped and pampered" former President Muhammadu Buhari despite his failure to resolve the crisis, and are now directing the same criticism at President Bola Tinubu. In his view, the leaders who had the greatest responsibility to address the problem, those from the region itself, have largely escaped scrutiny.
He said communities across the North have endured violence for nearly two decades while their leaders faced little accountability. Rather than holding those leaders responsible, or confronting the bandits and terrorists carrying out attacks, he said public anger is being channelled towards scapegoats.
Insecurity: Shehu Sani faults northern elites, masses
Sani used a pointed comparison to describe the attitude he observed, saying Northerners who protect the image of leaders who failed them resemble patients who refuse to accept their own medical diagnosis. He said people march over the graves of victims while defending the very figures whose inaction allowed the violence to persist.
The senator's comments reflect growing tension within Northern political circles over how to assign responsibility for a security crisis that has displaced millions and claimed thousands of lives across the region.
See the full statement of the former senator on Facebook here:
El-Rufai: Tension as ADC criticises Tinubu
Legit.ng earlier reported that Bolaji Abdullahi, the national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), issued a direct warning to Tinubu over the detention of former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Abdullahi alleged that El-Rufai's continued custody was politically motivated and designed to sideline him from the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai is facing separate trials by the DSS and ICPC, with his bail application dismissed in early July, while his wives appealed to Tinubu for help.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
