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  • Why I won’t be distracted by propaganda on my victory, by Governor Uba Sani

    Why I won’t be distracted by propaganda on my victory, by Governor Uba Sani

    In an explosive interview with Arise TV on Thursday, September 29, Kaduna state governor, Uba Sani bares his mind on the affirmation of his victory by the Kaduna Elections Petitions Tribunal, his political principle and his take on the historic verdict. Excerpts:

    Congratulations would be in order but we need to get clarity on the true position exactly because on the one hand they said the tribunal has removed you and on the other hand they said the election is inconclusive. It’s quite confusing at this point, give us clarity.

    I’m not someone who will bother myself about propaganda because of my background as one who has spent three decades as a civil activist, someone who believes in the rule of law, and democracy and fights for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. I’m someone who always believes in the rule of law and I cannot sit here and join the propaganda of people that want to misinform the public. We know this thing clearly, we listened to the ruling by the judges and I can say here clearly that we shouldn’t be joining propaganda because the ruling is clear.

    The case has been dismissed loud and clear by the judges and of course, now it’s left for the PDP’s candidate to approach the court of Appeal. Any propaganda is just a waste of time. For me, sitting here, I have been involved in democratic processes in Nigeria, I contested elections four times, I won twice, and lost twice. So you are talking with someone with experience of winning and losing elections. But never in my life have I gone into propaganda.

    The fact of the matter is very clear. Again, as someone who has spent four years in the National Assembly, this Electoral Act we are talking about, I was involved in amending the Electoral Act, I know what it takes and I know that if you have any case that has to do with the election petition, you have to be very clear with what the Electoral Act states there clearly. Every aspect of their case has a time limit.

    So it’s not about the judges, it’s about the lawyers who are supposed to file their preliminary objection within the timeframe, and if they don’t do it, that’s the Supreme Court ruling in most of the cases and if they don’t do it, we in the National Assembly who amended the Electoral Act we made it clear.

    And in any case, talking about propaganda, I shouldn’t be part of it. For me, what happened today (Yesterday is a true reflection of the mandate given to me by the people of Kaduna State. And of course, I must thank them and I must also thank Hon Isa Ashiru as a Democrat, I believe that he is within his right to ventilate his grievances by going to court, and as stated by the ruling, I will urge him if he has any grievance, he should approach the Appeal court. We are in a democratic setting, the earlier the better for us to stop trying to undermine our democratic system and the judiciary is key. It pays to approach the Court of Appeal.

    I think I will welcome him to come and work with me, it is about Kaduna. So I welcome not only him, his supporters, and my supporters to come and work together for the interest of our own state. In the election, there must be only one winner and there must be a loser. So he lost the election by the outcome of the Tribunal today. As far as I am concerned, I’m happy about the judgment but most importantly I also caution my followers to tell them let’s bring everyone together because we are in Kaduna, work together, and contribute to the success of the state. Every person is important, that is where we are today.

    Read Also: Tribunal judgement: Join hands with Uba Sani to move Kaduna forward, Abbas tells PDP, others

    There has been a concern by the judiciary, you have been in the legislature, the legal weeks started and the judiciary is concerned about politicians who are trying to make it look like it is the judiciary that will decide what the people decide in the election. You have lost twice, what is the feeling of the politicians about the judiciary for their victory especially when they clearly losing out?

    For me, like I always say, as a politician what will come to your mind first when you go for an election, you have to understand that there is a possibility you can win the election and you can lose the election. That is the key. So if you have that in your mind, of course, there must be one winner and you might be the winner or you might be the loser. So always have that at the back of your mind, it’s one thing you have to do as a politician.

    Secondly, two battles are going into the election. Do you want to go into the election and win the political battle – that is campaigning, putting everything into law or you are going into the election with a propaganda battle? That is the issue here, many politicians believe going into the election with a propaganda battle. It always confuses the public and at the end of the day, you go with nothing. So that is my concern.

    I want to advise politicians that there is a judgment after the election whether you like it or not, if you lose at the Tribunal, the first thing you have to do as a politician is sit down and ask yourself if you will appeal or you don’t need to appeal. But going out attacking the judiciary, blaming INEC, blaming everyone except yourself. If you are a Democrat, except you are not, going into the election it’s either you win or you lose.

    Like I said, I contested four times, I lost twice, and won twice. But in all the times I lose an election you will never hear me going to the media, attacking the judiciary, attacking INEC. I get back. I contested to go to the Senate in 2011, but l lost the election. It took me eight years to contest again and I won the election, then I went to the senate. I contested in 2003 for the House of Representatives, I lost and it took me another eight years to contest for the senate again and I won. After that, I contested for governor and I won. So for me, as a Democrat, always have it at the back of your mind, someone must win the election.

    Today, those that defeated me at the previous elections, issued a statement congratulating them as winners. For someone like me, who has spent most of my life fighting for democracy in Nigeria, to the extent we fought the military, I went to detention two times. I believe we have to continue to improve this democracy. We cannot sit down there, if we lose the election we attack the process, if we win, it’s fine. That clearly shows that you are not a Democrat, a Democrat won’t do that.

    Today I am sitting as a governor of Kaduna State believing that the people of Kaduna State came out freely and voted for me and when my opponent went to the court, I sat down with my lawyers and said let’s meet in court, and eventually the judgment came out in my favour. But importantly it’s not about Uba Sani, it’s about Kaduna State because we have a lot to do in Kaduna State, and I believe, everyone whether PDP, APC, Labour Party, or even those who are not in politics they have something to offer. I will make sure that we work together. The key is what we can do for Kaduna State and move the state forward.

    Do you think this upturning election at the courts is also an indictment on INEC being the electoral umpire that may not have done a thorough convincing job that will move all the ambiguity around not just the electoral process but the outcome?

    Let me answer this clearly because as someone who was in the National Assembly, we believe it’s a process that will continue to be amended. Let me give you an example, American democracy is 250 years older than our democracy but remember there was an election not long ago, when President Trump lost the election, he came out openly and said there was rigging, and there was no election. So everywhere in the world, you have to understand that no process is perfect.

    In Nigeria, it cannot be perfect, even in developed countries. You have reason to go to court. Even those who lost elections in developed countries, approach the judiciary even up to the Supreme Court, when they lose at that point they respect the judiciary. That is what we need to do. For me what I don’t like is for politicians to come out and mislead their followers, misinformed them.

     Is this court case a distraction for you?

    Honestly, I have never been distracted. Even today (yesterday) I was at the NEC meeting and we are focused. The most important thing is we have a seven-point agenda and as we are speaking here we have done a lot in the last 100 days and even our opponents have come out to at least encourage us and support what we have been doing. I am the first governor to sign an Executive Order on finance for the underprivileged and vulnerable people who are financially excluded in this country. We are working to ensure that we bring them back to financial service in Nigeria and we are doing a lot.

  • Tribunal judgement: Join hands with Uba Sani to move Kaduna forward, Abbas tells PDP, others

    Tribunal judgement: Join hands with Uba Sani to move Kaduna forward, Abbas tells PDP, others

    The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas congratulated the governor of Kaduna state, Uba Sani, on his victory at the governorship election tribunal on Thursday, September 29.

    He said Governor Sani’s victory at the tribunal has affirmed the massive support he received from the people of the state during the March governorship election.

    Abbas said the governor had already started justifying the trust and the support he got from his people by initiating people-oriented programmes and projects in the state.

    Read Also: National Assembly budget stagnant for 13 years, says Abbas

    In a statement by his special adviser on media and publicity, the speaker said he was satisfied with the tribunal judgment as most of the people from Kaduna state are.

    He urged the citizens to use his tribunal victory to rally around all politicians in the state, irrespective of their inclination, for the betterment of the people.

    Abbas also called on those in the opposition, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to sheathe their sword and join hands with the governor to work for the state.

  • Banditry: Uba Sani recruits 7,000 vigilantes, orders probe of Kaduna mosque killings

    Banditry: Uba Sani recruits 7,000 vigilantes, orders probe of Kaduna mosque killings

    After initiating the training of 7,000 young individuals for recruitment into the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVS) to address issues of banditry and other security challenges, Governor Uba Sani has ordered security agencies to investigate killings of worshippers at Ikara Mosque and hunt down the culprits.

    The governor gave the probe order for the Friday night attack, saying that he would go to any length within the law to bring the Ikara bandits to book.

    The Nation had reported that gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked a Mosque at Saya-Saya village in Ikara Local Government Area of the State, Friday night, killing five worshippers and two others at a different location before escaping into the bush.

    In a statement issued on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Lawal Shehu, Governor Sani described the attack as wicked and barbaric. He therefore directed security agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and go after the perpetrators.

    Shehu stated: “The visibly angry Governor vowed to go to any length within the law to bring the Ikara bandits to book. His Government, he said, will not rest on its oars until peace and stability is restored to every part of Kaduna State. His words:

    “We understand the concerns and anxieties of the residents of Ikara, in particular, and Kaduna State, in general. Your safety and security are our top priorities, and we want to reassure you that we are working tirelessly to maintain peace and stability.”

    Read Also: Military action alone can’t end terrorism in Northwest, says Uba Sani

    “We encourage the public to remain calm and vigilant during this period. We also call upon all residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and provide any relevant information that could assist in the ongoing investigation.”

    The statement also said that Governor Uba Sani has sent a delegation led by the overseer of the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs (MISHA), Samuel Aruwan, to condole the people of Saya-Saya village.

    He said the delegation would also carry out an assessment of the security and humanitarian situation in the area and advise the government appropriately.

    In a related development, Governor Sani while flagging off the training of 7,000 recruits of the Kaduna Vigilance Service (KADVS) drawn from the 23 local government areas of Kaduna state, said the recruitment was aimed at having more boots on the ground to assist the federal security agencies against bandits and other criminal elements.

    The governor said: “The Kaduna Vigilance Service is a complementary security outfit. It will assist the Security Agencies with actionable intelligence. With its knowledge of the local environment, bandits will have no hiding place.

    “The commencement of this training is a major step towards fulfilling our promise to the good people of Kaduna State. In our administration’s BLUEPRINT, we committed to strengthening the manpower and “overall operational capacity of KADVS. Since its establishment, KADVS has been working with security agencies to degrade criminal elements. But, we face the challenge of inadequate personnel to successfully wage the battle against bandits and other criminal elements. It is for this reason that our administration decided to recruit 7,000 personnel into the Kaduna Vigilance Service (KADVS).

    “The recruitment and screening of the trainees was the collaborative efforts of our local government chairmen, traditional and religious leaders, key stakeholders at the grassroots level, and Security Agencies. The screening was very thorough. We have here energetic young men and women of transparent honesty who are committed to securing our local communities.”

  • Uba Sani leaves no one behind

    Uba Sani leaves no one behind

    • Governor marks 100 days in office

    By Jubril Abdulaziz

    Of the 16 newly elected Governors in the country, Senator Uba Sani, the young and ebullient Governor of Kaduna State seems the most prepared for the top job. For one, Senator Sani is thoroughly rounded in administration and governance. Better still, the Kaduna State Governor has a firm understanding of the workings of all arms and tiers of Government at both the Federal and State levels.

    Though Governor Uba Sani started out as a fiery pro-democracy and human rights activist in the heady days of military rule in Nigeria – working closely with pro-democracy icons of that era like the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chima Ubani, Yinka and (his wife) Joe Okei-Odumakin, among others; with the nation’s eventual attainment of democratic rule in 1999, Uba Sani retreated to his professional training as an Engineer and calling as a businessman. Today, however, Governor Uba Sani has become a shining symbol of careful grooming in politics and governance.

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    The rather down-to-earth Governor of Kaduna State is deploying inclusive governance as a very potent weapon to curb acute poverty, banditry and general insecurity in the State. The Governor makes no pretenses about his administration’s resolve to make overwhelming majority of the citizens and residents of Kaduna State, directly feel the impact of government. Uba Sani intentionally treats all the local government areas in Kaduna State as equals and spreads both infrastructural development and political patronage equally. 

    Even more important, Governor Uba Sani is a believer in identifying and harvesting the good in people and he readily avers that underdevelopment, poverty and lack of inclusion are at the root of the seemingly intractable security challenges that Kaduna has been battling with over the years. He seeks to change the poor narrative and status quo. Governor Uba Sani is totally committed to opening up and bringing to the mainstream all the geo-political zones in Kaduna State but specially targeting the poor, vulnerable, underserviced, youth and women population in the State.

    Governor Uba Sani is building on the giant strides of his immediate predecessor, Mallam Nasir El Rufa’i without seeming to be duplicating efforts already accomplished or achieved by the phenomenal El Rufa’i. Governor Uba Sani is at home with the fact that government is a continuum.    ÒOur vision is to make Kaduna the Leading Economic Hub in the North. We want to create a business cluster that will drive competition in the Northern Region. Kaduna State is rich in natural and human resources. It is the gateway to many parts of Nigeria. It is a transportation hub. The immediate past government worked assiduously to upgrade the infrastructure in the state. We are determined to build on that legacy to fasttrack the economic development of the state,Ó the Governor says.

    Governor Uba Sani who proved himself as a champion of financial inclusion while he served as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Matters between 2019 and May 29, 2023, when he was sworn-in as Governor, is leading a revolution of sorts in Kaduna State by bringing millions of underserviced persons under one form of financial service or the other.

    Indeed, long before the Federal Government announced series of palliative measures aimed at cushioning the effect of the withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products, notably PMS (petrol), Governor Uba Sani made history on Tuesday, 25 July 2023 when he signed his first Executive Order as Governor on “Financial Inclusion in Kaduna State.Ó The Order is pursuant to his administration’s efforts to address the exclusion of about 2.1 million poor, underserved and vulnerable citizens in the rural areas from financial services in Kaduna State and to ensure they benefit from the State’s and Federal Government’s Social Intervention Programmes.

    ÒIn exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 5 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I make the following orders: A Financial Inclusion and Literacy Committee is hereby constituted to fashion strategies and modalities to ensure the inclusion of the poor, underserved and vulnerable in Kaduna State, as well as equip them with financial skills to enable them make sound financial and investment decisions,Ó the Governor asserts in the Executive Order.

    The target of the State Government is to include about 1.2 million poor, underserved, unbanked and vulnerable citizens in the financial services sector in the next one year; The State Government, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including CSOs, NGOs and Financial Technology Companies (FINTECHS) is poised to develop a State Financial Inclusion Strategy. In this regard, the Executive Order stipulates as follows: The State Government shall develop a State Register of the Poor, Under-Served and Vulnerable. The Register will be subjected to various stages of integrity tests; The State Government shall work with banks and other financial service providers to open bank accounts for un-banked citizens, and embark on aggressive sensitisation programme to ensure the mass participation of the State’s citizens in this exercise; The State Government, in collaboration with regulatory agencies in the financial sector will organize Financial Literacy Workshops to equip citizens with financial skills that will enable them make sound financial and investment decisions.

    The Executive Order further compels the Kaduna State Government to consult with key stakeholders like Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Local Government Chairmen, Youth, Women and Community Development Associations to ensure the mass sensitisation and involvement of the citizens in this financial inclusion drive.

    Governor Uba Sani is a strong proponent and believer in both the kinetic and non-kinetic option in battling banditry and general insecurity in Kaduna State. On the kinetic option, he has since assuming office, visited the service chiefs of the nation’s armed forces to pledge the full cooperation of Kaduna State in the fight against bandits and criminals in the State. ÒMy administration shall work very closely with the nation’s military and other security agencies in our collective efforts to rid the State of bandits and criminals. We are even prepared to fund some of their operations in our state within the little resources available to usÓ he said in a recent media chat.

    Similarly, Governor Uba Sani has rebooted the Kaduna State Vigilante Service. Other than procuring needed vehicles and other equipment for the Vigilante Service, his administration is currently recruiting able young men and women into the re-energised Kaduna State Vigilante Service. The Governor says the State will recruit 7,000 persons to nudge up the current size of the Service’s personnel from 2,000 to 9,000.

    ÒThroughout my stay in the Senate, I was a strong advocate of State Police; but unfortunately, the 10th National Assembly, despite our best efforts was unable to achieve this. But the law permits States to set up Vigilante Services. Ours in Kaduna State will abide by all extant laws; In fact, they will be trained at the Police College and shall work very closely with the Police. We are projecting that in a matter of days, Kaduna State will rank among the safest States in Nigeria,Ó Governor Uba Sani enthused.

    On the other hand, Governor Uba Sani’s non-kinetic approach centres on taking development to the remotest parts of the State. Governor Sani, who has since taken a 50 per cent salary cut himself, wants to conquer poverty and crass deprivation in rural areas of Kaduna State, provide basic necessities and empowerment for persons leaving in rural communities, especially the youth population and women. ÒWe may not eradicate entrenched institutional causes of insecurity in Kaduna State immediately but we are on a daily basis reducing incidences of banditry, organized crimes and general insecurity in the State by deliberately targeting and meeting the needs of the poor, vulnerable and underserviced persons in our vast rural communities. Curbing insecurity is not a 100-metre dash, that is achievable in seconds like Usain Bolt; it is a marathon; I can attest to the fact that in this big race, we are taking giant strides and our efforts are yielding huge positive results, by the grace of God,Ó Gov. Uba Sani opined.

    Pursuant to this goal of opening up and bringing development to all the local government areas of Kaduna State, earlier this month (August), Governor Uba Sani performed the groundbreaking of the Qatar Sanabil Project, initiated by Qatar Charity for the construction of the Kaduna Economic City and provision of Mass Housing for the Less Privileged persons in Kaduna State. He was joined at the ceremony by top officials of the Kaduna State Government, Embassy of the State of Qatar, Qatar Charity and enthusiastic citizens of our dear state. 

    Located at Millennium City, Kaduna, the Economic City, when completed, will provide world class infrastructure and make Kaduna a reference point in modern and affordable accommodation, adequate security and conducive atmosphere for business activities. The Economic City will facilitate international trade. It will serve as a platform for entrepreneurs and traders. It will help harness product value chain opportunities and improve economic growth. In the Economic City, there will be Houses for the Poor, Clinics, Shops, Poultry Farms, Farmlands for Rainy Season and Irrigation Farming. 

    ÒThe Mass Housing Project for the Less Privileged is a major contribution towards putting roofs over the heads of the poor, underserved and vulnerable in our state. This will go a long way in addressing a major gap in our Interventions in the Housing Sector over the years,Ó the Kaduna State Governor said. 

    Other empowerment programmes that the poor, underserved and vulnerable in Kaduna State will benefit from the Qatar Charity include: scholarships for orphans and children of the poor, distribution of sewing machines, welding machines, irrigation pumping machines, salon kits, and drilling of hundreds of boreholes across the 23 local governments of Kaduna State.

    ÒOn behalf of the good people of Kaduna State, I want to specially thank Qatar Charity, as well as the Qatar Government and the Qatar Embassy in Nigeria for choosing to support the Kaduna State people with a multimillion dollars charity project, the ‘Kaduna Economic City’ that will include building of houses for the less privileged, underserved and vulnerable people, special homes for orphans, hospitals, markets, schools etc,Ó Governor Uba Sani asserted at the event. 

    In addition to this charitable work, the Qatar Charity will also provide startup support for small scale businesses, poultry farms and irrigation farmlands for the poor, full scholarships for thousands of orphans and poor children, provision of hundreds of boreholes across the 23 local governments amongst others.

    Relatedly, pursuant to his efforts to promote digital inclusion and leverage technology to drive economic growth in Kaduna State, Governor Uba Sani has attracted digital technology giant, google, to Kaduna State. The Governor recently received a high-powered delegation from Google Africa led by its Director for West Africa, Mr. Olumide Balogun to Kaduna recently.

    ÒI am glad that Google Africa has answered our call to promote digital innovation and inclusion. Kaduna State has a high digital maturity index. We have creative and talented young people who are ready and motivated to learn, especially in this age of Artificial Intelligence,Ó an elated Governor Uba Sani said at the meeting.

    The Kaduna State Government in collaboration with Google, will train 5,000 women and girls in data science, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurial application of digital technologies. The programme will be executed by Data Science Nigeria, which will set up Arewa Tech4Ladies. This initiative is crafted to serve four key semi-urban and rural communities in Kaduna State, offering specialised women-focused learning, mentoring, and job placement support facilities.

    Governor Uba Sani said that the Kaduna State Government will give Google and its partners the necessary support to effectively implement this laudable initiative.

    Following a recent outbreak of diphtheria along the Kaduna medical corridors, Governor Uba Sani left nothing to chance as he mobilized his team and collaborated effectively with agencies of the Federal Government to battle the scourge. With the scare of diphtheria fully surmounted, the Governor proceeded to proactively launch a Statewide Immunization Campaign for the Prevention of the Integrated Fractional Inactivated PolioVirus Vaccine (FIPV).

    Governor Sani is prioritising Human Capital Development as a key pillar of his administration’s developmental agenda. On this score, the Governor is determined to return as many indigenes of Kaduna State back to both formal and vocational education. The Governor is keen on removing all barriers to access to education for children and youths of the State.

    For starters, in response to the public outcry over the seemingly prohibitive fees being charged by tertiary institutions in Kaduna State and its effect on school enrolment and retention, Governor Uba Sani directed heads of tertiary institutions in conjunction with the State’s Ministry of Education to obtain relevant information on the extant fees regime in state owned tertiary institutions. At the end of their assignment, far-reaching observations and recommendations were made for the Governor’s consideration and approval. These include: That the extant fees regime in the           state-owned tertiary institutions is burdensome and has led to a significant decline in student enrolments; That the extant fees have made many students to either abandon the pursuit of tertiary education or moved to alternative institutions; That to reverse the trend mentioned, it is imperative that a competitive fees model should be adopted in the State’s tertiary institutions and that the competitive fees model responds to current realities and promotes access to quality education.

    Following these recommendations, Governor Uba Sani on Monday, August 21, announced that Òas a caring, responsive and responsible government, his administration has accepted the recommendations and accordingly reviewed downwards the fees paid in all tertiary institutions owned by Kaduna Sate by between 30 per cent and 50 per centÓ. Under the new dispensation, the Governor moved the extant fee of N150,000 at the Kaduna State University to N106,000; Fees for the State-Owned Polytechnic (Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic) was reduced by 50 per cent from the extant rate of N100,000 to N50,000. In the same regard, fees paid at the State’s College of Education, Gidan Waya was reduced by 50 per cent from N75,000 to N37,000. Fees paid at the Kaduna State College of Nursing was reduced from N100,000 to N70,000, a 30 per cent reduction.

    Governor Uba Sani said that the downward review of the extant fees regime in schools owned by the State aligns with his administration’s commitment to offering palliatives to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living in the polity, especially in the wake of recent petroleum subsidy removal in Nigeria.

    ÒThe welfare of the people is our topmost priority. Our administration shall continue to take all measures necessary to ensure access to free and qualitative education for every child in Kaduna State from primary to secondary school; expand access to higher education; enhance Teachers’ Welfare & Teaching Standards; improve School Infrastructure; build ICT competence in our students from basic education level; and intensify investments in Technical & Vocational Education,Ó the Governor announced.

    Governor Uba Sani summed up the immediate direction of his administration during the swearing-in event of the newly appointed commissioners in the State:

    ÒI charge you all (Commissioners) to adopt the inclusive approach to leadership. You must build a team and see everybody as important. You must get down to work immediately and deliver on the 7-Point Agenda of our administration, namely: Safety and Security, Upgrade of Infrastructure, Strengthening Institutions, Trade and Investment, Agriculture, Investing in Human Capital, and Nurturing Citizens’ Engagement. The central focus of our administration is however the Transformation of the Rural Areas. We want to revitalize the economies of the rural areas through massive infrastructural development.

    • Jubril Abdulaziz Lives in Kaduna

  • I never criticized Buhari’s appointment – Sen. Sani

    Senator representing Kaduna Central, Uba Sani has ascribed his alleged criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s reappointment of Malam Abba Kyari as handiwork of mischief makers bent on portraying him in bad light, noting that such is not in his character.

    Senator Uba Sani stated categorically that, he never criticized President Buhari’s appointment

    In a statement signed by his Chief Constituency Officer, Arch. Abubakar Abubakar, the Senator said, that the posts on the social media by one Shehu Dan Takara and his cohorts is coming from a senatorial candidate who lost to him in the last general elections.

    According to Senator Sani, “The attention of Distinguished Senator Uba Sani has been drawn to posts on Facebook and WhatsApp chat groups by one Shehu Dan Takara and his accomplices. In the said posts, Senator Sani was alleged to have blasted our dear President over his reappointment of Abba Kyari as Chief of Staff.

    “This is mischief taken too far. Investigation has revealed that the posts were fabricated and ascribed to the Distinguished Senator by an aide of a defeated senatorial candidate in the 2019 Kaduna Central Senatorial elections to bring the Distinguished Senator to public ridicule and odium and portray him as disloyal to the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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    “‘The defeated senatorial candidate hopes that through this subterfuge he will warm himself back to the heart of Mr. President and possibly make a return from the political wilderness.

    “We wish to state emphatically that the evil machination is dead on arrival. Distinguished Senator Uba Sani is a key loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari. He holds the President in the highest esteem and would never do anything to demean our iconic leader.

    “We call on the security agencies to investigate this criminal act by Shehu Dan Takara and his accomplices. Instead of using the social media to receive and share information, the likes of Shehu Dan Takara, on the prompting of desperate politicians, are turning the online platforms into spaces for character assassination and dissemination of falsehoods.

    “Distinguished Senator Uba Sani urges the general public to disregard both the Facebook posts and the one shared to WhatsApp chat groups by Shehu Dan Takara and his cohorts. They are hatchet jobs. They are lies from the pit of hell,” Senator Uba Sani added.

     

  • Sani sues for peaceful co-existence

    The Senator-elect for Kaduna Central, Dr. Uba Sani, has congratulated all Nigerian Christians on the Easter celebration.

    He urged Nigerians to reflect on the lessons of Easter and continue to live in peaceful and harmonious coexistence.

    While describing the Easter as a significant religious festival, the Senator-elect urged Nigerians to also use the season to mend political fences.

     

  • I am confident of El-Rufai’s re-election – Uba Sani

    Senator-elect (APC – Kaduna), Dr Uba Sani, says he is confident that Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai would be re-elected.

    Sani, former Adviser to  El-Rufai on Political matters, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in  Kaduna that he personally monitored the exercise in parts of Kaduna after casting his vote at his  polling unit in Kawo LEA Primary School, Kaduna.

    Sani defeated the incumbent Shehu Sani of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the Feb 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections to clinch the Kaduna Central senate seat.

    “ Every one of us is happy, optimistic and in high spirit that Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of All Progressives Congress  will come back as newly elected governor for the second term.

    “Yes, I can tell, the All Progressive Party (APC) will defeat the opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State,“ Sani said.

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    He, however, said the seeming low turn out of voters was as result of smooth process of the exercise, where the electorate did not have to wait.

    “What you saw at most polling units was impressive, the whole exercise was so smooth that voters were casting their votes and leaving in good time,“ he said.

    Sani commended INEC for addressing most of the challenges the process faced during the Presidential and National Assembly polls in the state.

    He appealed to the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully after the election for faster development and growth of the state. (NAN)

  • You disobeyed your own court order, Shehu Sani tells rival Uba sani

    The last may not have been heard of the tussle between Senator Shehu Sani and his rival, Uba Sani for the APC ticket for the Kaduna Central Senatorial seat as the Senator has accused his rival of going against the court he obtained stopping the party from conducting primary in the Senatorial district.

    Counsel to the Senator, Barrister Awwal Marafa said the purported conduct of the Senatorial primary in which Uba Sani was declared winner was null and void as the court obtained by Uba Sani has not been vacated and cannot be vacated before October 15 when the case comes up.

    He said evidences abound that Uba is not an aspirant of the party since he was.not cleared to contest the primary prior to his obtaining an order of court to maintain status quo pending the determination of the suit.

    Barrister Marafa said that official documents from the party signed by the National Chairman and official press statement signed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary does not contain the name of Uba Sani as a cleared aspirant to contest the primary, adding that there has been official statement from the party to counter the first one.

    He said further that the APC official website where names of aspirants are published does not contain the name of Uba Sani as one of those cleared to contest the primary, adding that “Uba Sani rushed to Kaduna High Court on October 3 and got a ruling to stop Central Senatorial primary until the hearing of the case on October 15 2018.

    Read Also: Fayose sues EFCC for N20b over security watch list

    Yet Uba Sani and possibly Governor ElRufai violated their court order without withdrawing the case and blackmailed and forced the Electoral Panel to conduct the primary in violation of their court order.

    Conducting a primary election in violation of a substantive court order renders the process and the result invalid. In the APC rules, Uba is neither an aspirant nor a candidate because he was never cleared to contest. By law, Uba cannot claim to be an aspirant or a candidate by violating a substantive court order he obtained without following due process of withdrawing the case which can only happen on the 15th of October.

    “By the party constitution, Uba Sani standard automatically expelled from.the party foe taking the national Chairman and the party to court without exploring internal mechanism for resolution. The result sheet of the primaries conducted by the panel in violation of the party standing rules and in violation of a subsisting court order is a nulity”

  • Shehu Sani loses primary, as El-Rufai’s aide, Uba Sani, clinches APC ticket

    •Police bar journalists from venue

    Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) yesterday lost the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He lost the party’s ticket to the Special Adviser to Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai on Political Affairs, Malam Uba Sani.

    There has been no love lost between Sani and El-Rufai with the governor believed to be bent on denying the senator a return ticket to the upper chamber.

    The governor’s aide, who has the blessings of his principal, scored 2,088 votes to the senator’s 15.

    Chairman of the Primary Election Committee and a national official of the party, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, declared Sani as winner.

    Former Kaduna North Local Government Council Caretaker chairman, Usman Ibrahim, came second with 129 votes.

    Shehu Sani’s predecessor in the Senate, Gen. Mohammed Sani Saleh, scored 55 votes while Shamsudeen Giwa polled six votes.

    Iduoriyekemwen said a total of 2,383 voters were accredited while there were 35 invalid votes.

    Some security personnel barred journalists from covering the election in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The primary election held despite the automatic ticket offered the incumbent by the national secretariat of the party.

    But the senator distanced himself from the exercise, which held at the Umar Musa Yar’Adua Hall, Murtala Square, Kaduna.

    In a statement by his Special Assistant Media, Abdulsamad Amadi, Sani said he was not participating in what he described as an ‘illegality’.

    According to him, “The office of Senator Shehu Sani has not, and will not send anybody as their representative or agent to that illegality that some desperate people are organising.

    “This is because the national leadership of the APC has not scheduled any senatorial primaries in Kaduna central on Saturday.

    “Consequently, anybody that goes there does so at his or her own freewill and does not in any way represent the interest of Sen Shehu Sani.”

    Despite his stance, our correspondent, who was at the venue of the election, observed Sani’s name featured among the five aspirants contesting the party’s ticket for the senatorial seat.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the team of journalists who converged on the venue of the primary election were completely denied access by the security personnel.

    The journalists used all persuasive means to get entry including parading their identity cards and making phone calls to some senior police officers but to no avail.

    The team of security personnel headed by one Fom D. Moses who was said to be the Divisional Police Officer, Samaru Division said he had received instructions not to allow journalists entry.

    When asked whether the Constitution prevents journalists from covering such events, he said:: “I should be very careful or else the politicians will indict me, I fear the politicians more than the journalists.

    “If somebody said I shouldn’t allow you in, then I shouldn’t,” Moses said.

    Efforts by the journalists to get the Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo to intervene did not yield result, as the police officer refused to speak with him on phone.

    Moses said: “I can’t pick his (PPRO) call because I am his senior by rank, I cannot receive directive from him.”

    However, the PPRO pleaded with journalists to be calm and pledged to get back to the journalists after making contact with his superiors.

     

  • Court stops APC from issuing automatic ticket to Shehu Sani 

    …ignore them, group tells APC

     

     

    Kaduna State High Court has on Wednesday restrained the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from conducting the primary election to select the party’s candidate for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District.

    The court order is coming after supporters of Uba Sani had protested at the state’s party secretariat on Tuesday night, asking the party to rescind its decision.

    Read Also:No automatic ticket for Shehu Sani -APC NWC

    Meanwhile, a pro Senator Shehu Sani group on Wednesday addressed a press conference in Kaduna, asking the national secretariat of the party to ignore Uba Sani and Governor El-Rufai on the matter.

    Following the automatic ticket given to Senator representing Kaduna North zone, Shehu Sani by the national secretariat of the APC, his opponent in the party, Malam Uba Sani had dragged the party to the court challenging the decision.

    Uba Sani is the acclaimed preferred candidate of Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

    Ruling on an ex-parte motion in a suit filed by Uba Sani, the court ordered the APC, its chairman Adams Oshiomhole, INEC and Shehu Sani to maintain the status-quo prior to 2nd October 2018, when the APC national chairman ‘unlawfully’ excluded Uba Sani and other aspirants from the contest in favour of one aspirant.

    In a motion brought pursuant to Order 15(1) and Order 36 of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules of Kaduna State, the Court granted leave to issue and serve the writ of summons on the defendants.

    Our Correspondent gathered that, the restraining order has been served on the APC at its national headquarters in Abuja.

    Uba Sani’s lawyer, Sule Shuaibu Esq., explained that his client took this step to protect his democratic rights after exhausting the internal party grievance-redress processes.

    “Upon becoming aware of his unlawful exclusion, Uba Sani wrote and submitted a letter of complaint to the national chairman, urging him to reverse the decision. He followed up with a letter to the Appeal Committee, stating clearly that having fulfilled all the conditions for contesting the primary election, his unlawful exclusion should be set aside and he  be allowed to contest the primary election.

    “Given the imminence of the INEC deadline for the conclusion of primaries, Uba Sani cannot sit on his right and allow the effluxion of time to extinguish his cause of action,” he said.

    The court however adjourned the matter to 15th October 2018.

    The pro Shehu Sani group called, APC Solidarity for Senator Shehu Sani led by led by Architecct Ado Mohammed Sani said that national leadership of the party should ignore Uba Sani and Governor El-Rufai.