Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna Central, has said Nyesom Wike’s rise to political prominence was facilitated by his (Sani) democratic struggles and those of other anti-military rule activists.
News About Nigeria reports that he spoke in an interview with Channels Television.
The former Kaduna senator was reacting to Wike’s recent remark at an event, questioning how much significance Sani’s presence made to making Nigeria better when he was a senator.
Recall that Wike had slammed Sani and Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria, over their opinions on the current administration.
The calls were not welcomed by Wike; therefore, he tackled the duo by questioning their decency in making such claims.
Wike had questioned Sani for making such calls, asking that the former lawmaker tell Nigerians about his key achievements in all the years he spent at the national assembly as a senator.
“So I said that I’ll put this to you and to tell my brother friend, for the main fact that you people were activists does not mean that you’ll do well, 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?.”
Reacting, Sani asked where Wike was when he was locked up in Port Harcourt prison during the military junta.
Sani accused Wike of intentionally asking to speak last at events to escape responses to his comments.
“Wike is my good friend. I would have preferred to reply to 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 sweats and all that we have invested in it.
“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, speaking last, closing the chapter and everybody should go home. It will never happen again. He will certainly get a reply.”
Sani added that he won’t take Wike’s comment personally, seeing it as a remark about the Senate’s role in democracy.
