Shehu Sani disowns el-Rufai for criticising Awolowo, others

Leke Baiyewu , Abuja

The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central

Senatorial District , Senator Shehu Sani , on Friday,

faulted Governor of Kaduna State , Mallam Nasir el -

Rufai, over his comment that Nigeria ' s founding

fathers failed to build a united country.

Sani was reacting to a video of el - Rufai in which the

governor criticised the late Sadauna of Sokoto and

former Premier of the defunct Northern Region ,

Ahmadu Bello; the late former Premier of the defunct

Western Region , Chief Obafemi Awolowo ; and the

first Executive President of Nigeria, Dr . Nnamdi

Azikiwe, in a Facebook post on Friday.

The lawmaker , however , could not provide details on

where and when el - Rufai made the speech when

contacted by Saturday PUNCH .

In the video, which was sent to Saturday PUNCH , el -

Rufai said , " Our founding fathers maintained the

regions ; maintained the divisions because it

benefitted them politically. I know it is not politically

correct to say that Ahmadu Bello, ( Nnamdi) Azikiwe

and ( Obafemi ) Awolowo did something wrong, but

they did . They did not work hard enough to build a

nation ; they maintained what they found and they

benefitted politically from it . "

Sani , in the Facebook post , however dissociated

himself and the people of Kaduna- Central from el -

Rufai' s criticism of Bello.

The post read , " On behalf of myself and the good

people of Kaduna- Central , the very district where the

late Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of Northern

Nigeria lived , served and was cruelly murdered by

mutinous soldiers, I wish to unreservedly disassociate

the good people of Kaduna- Central from any

demeaning utterances or denigrating innuendos by

any person or group of persons against the Sardauna

or any of the founding fathers of Nigeria.

" Sir Ahmadu Bello lived for his people and was

murdered for his people and his principles; and we

appreciate his exceptional , outstanding service and

sacrifice to the North and to Nigeria .

" We equally also wholeheartedly appreciate the

sacrifice and service of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo

and late Owelle of Onitcha , Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

They fought for our freedom and laid the foundation

for our nationhood . Kaduna City, Kaduna- Central and

I believe the entire people of Kaduna State , the North

and Nigeria remain ever grateful . "

Source: Punchng