Former Senator Shehu Sani has attributed his failure to secure re-election in 2019 to his opposition to a $340 million foreign loan request by then-Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.
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Sani made this known during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, stating that he had refused to support the loan due to concerns over its potential negative impact on the people of Kaduna. According to him, his stance against the loan led to a political clash with El-Rufai, ultimately costing him his senate seat.
Despite losing his position, Sani said he has no regrets, adding that recent developments in Kaduna have justified his decision. He noted that the state is now the second most indebted in Nigeria, with several projects abandoned due to financial constraints.
The former senator also pointed out that lawmakers in Nigeria often lose their seats when they refuse to align with their governors, a practice he described as a major setback to democratic governance. He contrasted this with countries like India and the United States, where legislators can serve for decades based on their competence rather than political loyalty.
Sani further criticized the expectation that lawmakers must be submissive to the executive instead of being elected based on merit. He referenced the 2015 national assembly leadership election, where Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara emerged as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, despite not being the preferred candidates of the executive.
