By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Former Senator and human rights activist, Shehu Sani, has described the opposition’s coalition targeted at unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027 as a project that is already doomed.
Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th Senate, also reckoned the coalition promoters as a bunch of spent force.
The activist ventilated his feelings about the coalition movement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
He said even though it’s within the democratic rights of Nigerians to organise themselves into a coalition, the sight and credentials of those championing the present coalition could give one goose pimples.
He said, “We need a coalition and we need a credible opposition; a credible opposition should not be a canopy of frustrated and angry people, whose interest is not the country or the people, but their own selfish interest.
“There are people in this coalition whose presence will give you goose pimples. Someone like former governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Rufai.
“He is not a clean political figure that came out of the trenches; he is not someone who has never been in government.
“Nigeria just celebrated 26 years of democracy and El-Rufai was the Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises for four years, minister for four years, governor for eight years, and so why did he not achieve all those things he is saying now while in office.
“As someone who has been in the political realm more than many other politicians, he should know that there are consequences for contesting elections every other time and losing.
“Atiku should not allow himself to be seen as a face of failure. He should rather be a good mathematician and a good hunter who knows when it is right to contest elections.
“When you have someone from the north who spent eight years in office and a southerner just spent four years in office, and you are in the opposition, you have to present someone from the south as your party’s candidate.
“You don’t build an opposition on the foundation of frustration and non-inclusion. All those things El-Rufai is saying about Tinubu is because he failed the ministerial test.
“If he was made a minister today, he would have been one of the vociferous attackers of anyone who says anything against Tinubu.
“Now he has reached a point whereby his utterances lack decorum, no restraint, and you can see anger, frustration and even desperation on his face.
“He has moved away from pinpointing areas where the government is not doing well to personal attacks on Mr President, and when one has reached such a level, it is more of exhibition of anger than playing opposition roles.
“Atiku has a lot of good political credentials. For instance, when, as activists, we were in prison in the 90s, he was in touch with us.
“I happened to share the same prison at Kirikiri, Lagos with the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who was Atiku’s mentor and Uba Sani was the contact between us and the outside world at that time.
“For instance, the coalition ought to be looking at sectoral performances of the government in order to win support from the masses; rather, they are attacking the government aimlessly. Unfortunately, El-Rufai as a governor in Kaduna left with bad records.
“He treated the people from Southern Kaduna viciously, sacking thousands of teachers without paying them, sacking thousands of civil servants, disobeying court orders and arresting journalists and activists, and imprisoning them.
“El-Rufai left mountain of debts and series of uncompleted projects, among other infractions and yet, coming now to preach about good governance, sanity and peace.
“Contesting elections, for someone who has been there and is not a novice, you will be experienced on how to navigate the landmines there.
“Such a person won’t be a poster politician who is going to paste his posters everywhere and start visiting markets and be eating foods in the restaurants.
“If you have been there once, you will know the truth and the deception, the falsehoods, the possibilities and the risks.
“Whoever you see emerging as a candidate of a political party is a product of a local political mathematics, influences and consultations.
“So if that favours me, certainly, I can offer myself for that in 2027.”
