APC decides to revisit Shehu Sani's case as his sudden resignation shocks party leaders

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) leaders have decided to take stock of the recent resignation of Kaduna Central senatorial District lawmaker Senator Shehu Sani before reacting in a bid to avoid doing anything that could cause lasting damage.

Yesterday, Senator Sani tendered his resignation from the APC after discovering that his name was not submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) as the party's candidate in next year's elections. Despite being adopted as the APC candidate, Senator Sani's name was removed from the list sent to Inec at the last minute at the insistence of Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Over recent weeks, the ongoing battle between Senator Sani and Governor El-Rufai has threatened to tear the APC chapter in Kaduna State apart. Senator Sani had been given an automatic ticket to stand again but Governor El-Rufai refused to accept this, saying that the legislator must be punished for his role in denying the state access to a World Bank loan.

Despite Governor El-Rufai's repeated visits to Abuja to get Senator Sani dropped, the APC leadership insisted that he was their candidate, leading to him threatening to demolish party chairman Adams Oshimhole's house in Kaduna. It now appears that Governor El-Rufai got his wish and in a swift response, Senator Sani wrote to Mr Oshiomhole informing him that he has left the APC.

Senator Sani's letter read: “I present to you my highest compliments and wish by this communication to formally offer you my resignation from the APC. I had joined the APC and remained with it against all odds in the belief that it will constitute a veritable platform for the realisation of those democratic ideals which I hold very dear.

“I joined in the belief that honour and integrity will be the ultimate ethos of the party and most importantly, that internal democracy will always be the norm.” In a terse statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC said it was studying and relating all the facts before taking appropriate action.

“We received the news of the alleged defection of Senator Shehu Sani through media reports. The party leadership will relate with all the facts concerning the reported defection and react appropriately in due course," the APC statement read.

Some commentators believe that the party may have to find a way to placate Senator Sani as his support is vital in Kaduna, which may be a swing state come next February. If President Buhari cannot win in Kaduna State, he will have difficulties returning to office.