Sen. Shehu Sani revealed the reasons APC senators refused to remove Saraki

The senator representing Kaduna Central who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Shehu Sani, has revealed why his colleagues in the ruling APC backed out of a plot to remove the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. Mr Sani, who is now a stalwart of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) after he lost out in getting the senatorial ticket of the APC, said the senators were unable to remove Mr Saraki because it was “constitutionally impossible”.

The vocal lawmaker who spoke with reporters in Abuja on Sunday also said the ruling party did not have the number of lawmakers required (two-third majority) to carry out its plan.
Following the defection of the senate president from the ruling party to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the APC leadership and some of its senators called for his resignation or forceful removal.
Mr Saraki’s defection to the opposition was to seek the presidential ticket of the party which he eventually lost.

The APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, was particularly vociferous in his threat to ensure Mr Saraki was removed if he did not resign. Mr Saraki, however, vowed to remain in office saying he enjoys the support of majority of the senators.
The senators of the APC eventually dropped plans to remove Mr Saraki when the house finally resumed from a 10-week recess as nothing was said or done about it.
Mr Sani explained why the plan failed. “It is technically impossible to remove Saraki because the APC does not have two thirds majority in the National Assembly. Secondly, Saraki has been able to carry everybody along and provide a leadership to the extent that he is able to accommodate those who are critical of him.”

“I can tell that APC backed out from plot to remove Saraki because they don’t have the number to do that and it is impossible to do that through constitutional means,” he said. Mr Sani, who is now seeking re-election on the platform of PRP, said the opposition party, PDP, “where Mr Saraki now belongs to is more united than the ruling APC senators in the National Assembly.”
“The opposition are more united and more formidable in their resolve to keep the senate president than the ruling party in their plot to remove the senate president.

“So, I can tell you that removing Saraki through constitutional means is very much impossible because the APC is not united to do that. The APC is not having the number to do that and the APC does not have the kind of support it needed to be able to carry out the plot.”

Senator Shehu dares El-Rufai, moves freely at Kaduna Central market

The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Comrade Shehu Sani, in Kaduna on Tuesday visited the central market popularly known as Sheikh Abubakar Gumi and interacted freely with traders and other citizens who were in the market to carry out their business activities.

The Senator moved from one part of the market to the other, interacting with traders on the prices of their goods and other Nigerians who were in the market to carry out their normal business activities.
The Senator was warmly received wherever he turned to as people kept praising him for identifying with the course of the common man in the discharge of his national activities in the Senate.

Recall that governor El-Rufai had while addressing newsmen in Abuja dared Senator Shehu Sani to test his popularity by going to the central market, if he would go unhurt, accusing the lawmaker of working against the party, and that the people were not happy with him.
But a trader, Mohammed Sani said, “Senator Shehu Sani remains one of the outstanding Senators in the country that has truly identified with his people and carried them along on anything that has to do with their welfare.

“He, Shehu Sani is one of true Nigerians that will always stand for his people and defend their course not minding the repercussion.
“I can assure you that if there is any politician that will get the support of the people, it is Senator Shehu Sani because he is always with his people irrespective of tribe or religion. I think he is one politician among many that can unite Nigerians and ensure peace, unity and development in the country.”
Mohammed Sani explained that the popularity and acceptance of Senator Shehu Sani could be seen in the way and manner people who were in the market ‘hailed’ him irrespective of tribe, religion, political affiliations or sectional difference.

“It is only when we have politicians like Senator Shehu Sani who truly means well for the people that the country will feel the impact of the dividends of democracy. Shehu Sani has truly identified with his constituency throughout his tenure at the National Assembly and to me, he deserves another tenure as a Senator of Kaduna Central,” he observed.
Other Nigerians who spoke said they were pleased to see Senator Shehu Sani moving freely in the market, saying that it is an indication of his love for the common man and to see for himself the prices of goods in the market to be able to speak the minds of the common man at the National Assembly.

Senator Shehu Sani pledges support for President Buhari’s re-election bid

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, on Thursday paid a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina state.
Speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with Buhari, Sani said he visited the president’s country home to pledge his support for his re-election bid.

The lawmaker said they spoke about the need for the party to be united.
“I am also here to fully assure him of the support of my constituency, Kaduna central, to his aspiration for the second term,” he said.
“I’m also here to assure him of my own wholehearted support to the success of his administration and his return to office for the second term.

“Those were the basic issues that we discussed with him and other issues that border on the need to strengthen our party; the need to end all internal strife and also the need to put heads, hearts and hands together for the success of his administration and also for the success of the party.” via punchng
Sani said his decision to remain in the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because of the intervention of Buhari and the national leadership of the party. “Well, there is no human being without any grievances but when national interest is put at the front side you have to put aside other parochial interests,” he said.

“What we need to do as politicians and as people representing those who elected us is to always put the country first and know very well that we have both constitutional and moral duty to work to the progress of Nigeria and of this government.
“So, I think these are the basic issues which we discussed, grievances are natural but we have to know that we have a country that we need to keep and also we have a country that we need to support, so that it can progress. I think the party had made it very clear and known to each and every person that there will be reward for loyalty but in every sense of the word due process of the party needs to be followed.

“And as far as we are concerned, what matters most to us is not simply about automatic ticket but about the peaceful and transparent conduct of the 2019 election and also the very need for us as a people and as a nation to know that the fate of the country is on our hands.”

[Shehu Sani] If Tinubu’s reconciliation fails, there will be mass defection from APC

¶ Senator Shehu Sani said the APC restructuring plan is just a campaign for2019 elections

¶ He said the ruling party is not prepared to implement restructuring

¶ The APC lawmaker also said the ruling part will experience mass defection if Tinubu’s reconciliation committee fails Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, said the plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to implement restructuring is just a mere form of campaign for the forthcoming 2019 elections.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the senator claimed that Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna state came up with the idea of restructuring just to gain political relevance.

He said:

“Governor El-Rufai is the chief architect of that committee because he wants political relevance. How can an APC that promised restructuring only think of restructuring when it is a year to an election? Document of that committee is more or less a campaign document for 2018. There will be no restructuring, you can quote me.

Speaking about the crises in the ruling party, Sani said Tinubu should be given chance to reconcile the aggrieved party members, as instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He, however, said that the ruling party will express a mass defection if Tinubu’s reconciliation fails. He said“…we need to put our ambitions in our pockets and allow the process of reconciliation to continue because reconciliation cannot go on with ambitions and bulldozers. Even, before you have peace in war situations, you must have a ceasefire.“For now, we are giving a grace of time for Tinubu to succeed. If he succeeds, the outcome of the deliberations will form the roadmap for the future of the party and if he fails, we will simply apply our senses.

It is always good to look at the messenger and the message.“I can tell you that if Tinubu fails, there is going to be mass defection from APC.”

Naij.com