Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has accused ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of fostering political violence and thuggery during his eight-year tenure in office.

Speaking on TVC’s Politics Tonight on Monday, Sani alleged that El-Rufai lacked a true appreciation of democracy, arguing that he never participated in the struggles that birthed the nation’s 25 years of democratic governance.

“For people like Nasir, when they find themselves in a position or office, they don’t know what democracy is all about because they didn’t fight for it,” Sani said.

“He’s an unknown figure before 1999 and became a PDP member. He has never been in a cell, never been in prison, never worn handcuffs. As for me, I’ve been through many prisons, many police stations. I wore prison uniforms, leg chains, and handcuffs as a political prisoner fighting for democracy.”

The former lawmaker further claimed that El-Rufai is embittered over being sidelined by President Bola Tinubu’s administration and is attempting to undermine the government in retaliation.

“To show you that Nasir El-Rufai was the founder and the architect of thuggery, political violence and bloodshed in Kaduna State, within the time he served as governor from 2015 to 2023, he bred a group of thugs that became his unofficial force against political opponents,” Sani alleged.

He added that El-Rufai’s style of governance was authoritarian and dismissive of dissent. “He didn’t care when he was in office. Nobody could caution him. That’s why he could sack thousands of teachers and civil servants, demolish houses, and go unchallenged,” Sani said.

The comments add to the ongoing war of words between the two Kaduna politicians, both of whom have been at loggerheads for years over governance, policies, and political ideology in the state.