Shehu Sani Blasts El-Rufai, Amaechi Over Criticism of Tinubu, Calls Them ‘Architects of Poverty and Insecurity

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has lashed out at ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, describing their recent criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as hypocritical and politically self-serving.

Speaking to journalists in Kaduna, Sani dismissed the duo’s remarks at Amaechi’s 60th birthday lecture—where El-Rufai had alleged Nigeria was now ruled by “urban bandits”—as lacking credibility and moral grounding.

“El-Rufai and Amaechi should bow their heads in shame,” Sani stated. “They are the architects of the banditry, poverty, and hunger they now pretend to lament. During their tenure, they did nothing to solve these issues, and now they cry foul simply because they have been left out of the current government.”

Sani emphasized that while criticism of any administration is a democratic right, it should stem from sincere concern for national progress—not personal grievances or disappointment over exclusion from power.

“There’s nothing wrong with criticizing government,” he said, “but when such criticism stems from personal disappointment over missed appointments rather than genuine concern for the people, it becomes dangerous.”

The former senator has long positioned himself as a watchdog of political accountability in northern Nigeria, and his comments come amid rising tensions and political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.