APC Will Lose 2019 General Elections – Shehu Sani
SAYING President Muhammadu Buhari and leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) betrayed him and later facilitated his decision to decamp to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); the Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani explained that the ruling party no longer has capacity to win 2019 general elections.
In an interview with The
Guardian, Sani explained his reasons for not going with other legislators, led by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying both the people of his constituency and APC leadership prevailed on him to join others in saving APC from collapse.
He said: “I decided to obey the people’s wish by remaining in APC, but now the people in my constituency have seen that I was betrayed and the senatorial tickets the party promised some of us were denied, hence I had to move to the PRP, where I have my root.
“The APC leadership lacks integrity to abide with its decisions. Is that how a party should be run, when the President and APC Chairman have no control over their decisions?
“You can see the kind of crisis in APC today. It is a byproduct of betrayal of others. Is that the party that will elections in 2019?” He explained that his decision to join APC initially was informed by the fact that at that time, the party was the only viable alternative to dislodge PDP and restore good governance in Nigeria. He said: “When we joined the APC, it was our belief that the nation would achieve and bring an end to the collapse of the economy and complete anarchy that enveloped our nation. The APC came to power with a lot of promises and raised Nigerians’ hopes. The fact that we had President Muhammadu Buhari and his singular asset in his name was integrity, honesty and commitment to this country’s liberation.
“Now, in the last three and half years, we have seen a progressive decline of the party and integrity ascribed to the President, as the nation has been going from hope to hopelessness. We saw the weaknesses of President Muhammadu Buhari and we have seen the rise of a civil force, in the form of a manipulative cabal around him. We have also seen the vulnerability of the Presi- dent as a person.” He explained that his decision to stay back, when there was an uprising among APC legislators in the National Assembly last July was due to intervention from Adams Oshiomhole, the then newly elected chairman of the party, the party’s national leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and President Buhari.
“I told Oshiomhole we were getting out of the party. And he gave me all the assurances. I said we needed to move out of the party for the very reason that for three consecutive years, we have been at war with my state governor, an arrogant, undemocratic governor, who has no respect for democratic values and people’s rights. And we differ both politically and ideologically, despite being in the same party then.”
He blamed Governor Nasir el-rufai for the recent crisis in Kaduna, saying: “The crisis was an avoidable one, if not that he decided to handle it with kid gloves.” Sani’s posters are displayed on major streets within Kaduna metropolis and other parts of the state. Meanwhile, winner of the October 7, 2018 National Assembly primary (House Of Representatives) for AdoOdo/ota Federal Constituency, Ogun State, Comrade Rotimi Rahman has cried out over substitution of his name on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list, accusing APC leadership of manipulation.
He said his name was removed and substituted with one Olusola Ojugbele, who did not partake in the primary, after he (Rahman) emerged winner and his name announced by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).