Former Senator Shehu Sani
A former Senator and human rights activist, Shehu Sani, has dismissed the opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027 as “dead on arrival.”
Sani expressed his views in a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
*“A Coalition of Frustrated Individuals”*
Sani stated that while a credible opposition is essential in a democracy, the current coalition is comprised of individuals with selfish interests rather than a genuine desire to serve the country.
“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,” he said.
*“El-Rufai’s Credibility Issues”*
Sani specifically mentioned former Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, questioning his credibility as a champion of good governance.
“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,” Sani said, highlighting El-Rufai’s past records as governor.
*Atiku Should Step Aside*
Sani also advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to allow a southerner to contest the presidency in 2027, citing the need for rotational leadership and fairness.
“Atiku should not contest the 2027 presidential election. He should allow a southerner to contest and serve out the turn of the South,” Sani said, adding that Atiku would have the moral right to seek support from the South in 2031 if he steps aside.
Sani criticized the opposition coalition’s strategy, saying it focuses on personal attacks rather than sectoral performances.
“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,” he said.
NAN
