2027: Northern leaders exploiting region’s security crisis — Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani, a member of the 8th Senate representing Kaduna Central, has observed that Northern leaders are exploiting the region’s security crisis for political gain ahead of the 2027 elections.

He urged these political leaders to stop using insecurity as a tool for political manoeuvring and instead confront the root causes of the issue.

Sani made this statement in Kaduna on Tuesday during a courtesy visit from the leadership of Open Heart Foundation and the Women Empowerment Centre at his residence.

He delivered a strong critique of political hypocrisy, ineffective leadership, and the escalating insecurity that has afflicted northern Nigeria for over a decade. He called for an urgent meeting among Northern leaders to address the underlying factors contributing to insecurity.

Sani questioned when the Northern leaders would convene to discuss the challenges of almajirci, mass illiteracy, poverty, and underdevelopment in the region.

While urging Northern leaders to confront the situation headlong without further excuses, he insisted that “The terrorists in the North-East are northerners. The bandits in the North-West speak Hausa, Fulfulde and Kanuri not Mandarin or French”.

“For 15 years, northern Nigeria has been a theatre of bloodshed,” he said, recounting attacks by terrorists and bandits across the North-East and North-West. Schools, churches, mosques, villages, nothing has been spared since 2012.”

“Some are celebrating attacks because it weakens the government”, accusing certain political actors of cheering violence in hopes of damaging the current administration.

Sani also blasted the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who recently alleged that over a billion naira was paid to bandits by the current administration of Uba Sani.

“He is on record that Nasir El-Rufai admitted he once appeased bandits. Under his watch, Kaduna witnessed some of its worst divisions. He even withdrew his own son from a nearby school due to insecurity. The irony is loud.”

While insisting that Kaduna is not yet safe, Sani said the current administration deserves credit for reduced religious tension and improving security in flashpoints such as Birnin Gwari, Giwa etc.

“Governor Uba Sani never claimed 100% peace, but the relative calm and the reintegration of communities must be acknowledged,” he said, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s government has also made measurable progress.

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