June 12: I lauded Uba, not El-Rufai, says Shehu Sani

Former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Sani, has clarified that he was not referring to Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, during his recent speech at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Democracy Day.

Sani had paid tribute to the current Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, for his support during the June 12 struggle, but some media outlets mistakenly credited the accolade to El-Rufai.

Sani, who was imprisoned by the military for his activism in the 1990s, addressed the misattribution of his accolades to El-Rufai in a statement on Friday, stating, “I wish to make this correction erroneously published in some media houses. What I said at the venue of the Democracy Day event was that the man who stood for us during our years in prison in the 90s was the present governor of Kaduna State and not the immediate past one.”

He noted that Uba maintained contact between those people who were imprisoned and their families during this suffrage movement and took the baton of the struggle to Northern Nigeria.

Sani stressed that Uba “kept in touch with the pro-democracy” and “progressive forces” until he was later nabbed by the DSS, released and again arrested and beaten by the police.

“Falana, Mike Ozekhome, Femi Aborishade, Col Umar, Mrs Obe, Mrs Odumakin, John Danfulani, Kalat Ali, Nike Kuti and Agbakoba can attest to this. The former Kaduna governor was unknown during the struggle,” he added.

“The history of the June 12 struggle is incomplete without mentioning the role played by Professor Ezekwesili, Prof Jibril Ibrahim, late Arthur Nwakwo, Nkoyo Toyo, President Sowore, Segun Mayegun, James Bawa Magaji, Nasir Kura, Awwal Rafsanjani, Late Ezeife, Yohanna Madaki, Gambo Sawaba, Barrister Bamidele Aturu, Solomon Lar, Dan Suleiman, Ndubuisi Kanu and Dr Fredrick Fasheun.”