Sani Critiques Northern Elites on Insecurity Denial

On July 29, 2026, Shehu Sani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kaduna Central, accused the Northern elite and the public of living in denial about the causes of insecurity in the region. His remarks came after Defence Minister Christopher Musa publicly criticized former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai for allegedly exacerbating the crisis in Southern Kaduna during his tenure.

Sani argued that both banditry and terrorism originated within Northern Nigeria, rather than being imported from outside. He noted a pattern of blame-shifting across three administrations, where Northerners blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan, overlooked former President Muhammadu Buhari's failures, and are now directing criticism at President Bola Tinubu.

Sani emphasized that leaders from the region have largely escaped accountability while communities have suffered violence for nearly two decades. He compared the attitude of Northerners defending ineffective leaders to patients refusing to accept their medical diagnoses, indicating a need for self-reflection and accountability.