Shehu Sani to Wike: You’re a beneficiary of our struggle for democracy

Shehu Sani, a former senator who represented Kaduna central, says Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), is a beneficiary of the struggle for democracy. 

Speaking with Channels Television, Sani said Wike rose to political prominence on the back of pro-democracy activists like himself who battled the military to a standstill.

Sani was reacting to Wike’s remarks of June 27.

At an event to commemorate 25 years of unbroken democracy in Nigeria, the minister had pointedly asked Sani, who was a member of the panel, what his achievements were when he was a senator.

Wike had also tackled Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over his comments on the President Bola Tinubu administration.

“So I said that I’ll put this to you and to tell my brother friend, the fact that you people were activists does not mean that you’ll do well in governance. No,” Wike had said.

“Activists have always failed. We’ve seen activists that were given appointments and yet they failed. When you were in the senate, how did you perform? What was our performance as senator?”

SANI REACTS

Sani asked where Wike was when he was locked up in Port Harcourt prison by the then military junta led by Sani Abacha.

He also accused Wike of always asking to speak last at events in order to evade reactions.

“Wike is my good friend. I would have preferred to reply him at an event rather than on the TV,” Sani said.

“I have attended two events where he strategically placed himself at the end of the event and made sure nobody replied him but I believe that when an opportunity comes next, I am going to take him on.

“But nobody can demean the struggle we did to free Nigeria from military dictatorship.

“If not for the struggles we did to de-establish military dictatorship in Nigeria, people like Wike couldn’t have been local government chairman, governor or minister today. He is a beneficiary of our struggles and sweat and all that we have invested in.

“There was a certain time, when I was in Port Harcourt prison, serving a prison term as a political prisoner, where was he at that time?

“Next time when we go for an event since I know his formula of speaking last, closing the chapter and everybody should go home, it will never happen again. He will certainly get a reply.”