A former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, revealed that he lost his re-election bid in 2019 for speaking against the immediate past Governor, Nasir El-Rufai’s $340 million loan.
Sani, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, said El-Rufai saw him as a political enemy and decided to fight back.
He stated that the battle led to several politicians leaving the party and when he decided to fight back it led to the loss and of his senatorial seat.
Sani said, “El-Rufai sought a $340m loan, and we said ‘No’ because we believed it would have severe consequences for the people. He saw us as political enemies and fought back.
“This battle affected several other politicians, forcing many of us to leave the party en masse. In my case, I stood up to the governor and paid the price by losing my seat.”
Speaking further, he asserted that recent revelations by the current Kaduna State governor confirmed his fears about the loan’s negative impact.
“At the time, El-Rufai, the state Assembly members, and many political figures opposed me. But today, even the current governor has publicly admitted that the state’s finances have been crippled by that loan.
“Many projects remain abandoned, and Kaduna is now the second most indebted state in Nigeria. This proves I was right, even though I lost my seat,” he said.
The former senator expressed satisfaction with his stance on the controversial loan, stating that he would rather be vindicated than have retained his position in the National Assembly.
“I’m content knowing that when I die, no one will point at my grave and say, ‘This is the man who approved a loan our children will repay for 100 years.’ That vindication means more to me than returning to the Senate,” he said.
