Shehu Sani, Hunkuyi Finally Dump APC

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial zone, Shehu Sani, and his counterpart in Kaduna North senatorial zone, Suleiman Hunkuyi, have finally dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after a prolonged battle with the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Both Sani and Hunkuyi respectively belong to two of the three factions of the party in the state, known as “APC Akida” and “Restoration Group” which are opposed to El-Rufai’s politics and style of administering Kaduna state.

Tom Maiyashi, chairman of the Akida faction, and Ja’afaru Abas Ibrahim, legal adviser of the Restoration Group, announced the decision of the two groups to leave the APC at a joint press conference on Friday in Kaduna.

Maiyashi who spoke for the groups, said the decision to leave the APC was taken after wide and extensive consultations with stakeholders.

He said: “This joint press conference is the culmination of extensive reviews and consultations over the state of the All Progressives, Congress (APC) in Kaduna State as well as in the nation.

“As you will appreciate, groups such as ours that had been in the frontline of the efforts to keep our party along the lines of survival, accoutability and integrity, will be diligent in ensuring that whatever steps we take, are consistent with our high sense of responsibility.

“We are satisfied that the positions we have arrived at are in the best interests of our members and the on going efforts to create options and strategies that will rid our nation of undeserved and avoidable challenges.

“Members of our two groups have decided to leave the APC because it is incapable of accommodating and responding to well-meaning dissent, criticism and demands for inclusiveness and internal democracy.”

Speaking further, the two groups said the APC “has not lived up to the expectations of the millions of people who laboured to put it in power, as well as Nigerians who expected that it will usher in genuine change.”

The two groups advised their teeming members to formalise their withdrawal from the APC.

Although the two groups did not disclose where they will pitch their tent, Maiyashi however, said discussions were going on with political parties that share their values and principles.

“We are engaged in serious discussions with parties which share our value and principles toward political collaboration that best suits our interests. In due course, we will make public the outcome of these discussions.

“We want to commend the resilience and commitment of our members in the face of institutionalised exclusion, marginalisation and abuse. We urge them all to keep faith,” Maiyashi said.