Senator Shehu Sani Slams El-Rufai, Calls Him “Jobless and Frustrated” Over Criticism of Tinubu Administration

Nasir-el Rufai and shehu

Senator Shehu Sani has hit back at former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, calling him a “midget professor” and accusing him of being “jobless and frustrated” following his public criticism of President Tinubu’s administration. Sani’s comments came in response to El-Rufai’s recent remarks, where he criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that Tinubu’s government was undermining opposition parties.

On Thursday, January 30, Sani took to his official social media platform, X, to lambast El-Rufai’s statements, labeling them hypocritical. He accused the former governor of championing tyranny and oppression during his tenure and suggested that El-Rufai had only become a vocal critic after being sidelined by the current administration.

“Out of power, he is sanctimoniously preaching democracy to the country he helped to wreck, plundered, and persecuted,” Sani wrote. “He demonized the opposition when in the palace and now embraces them in the wilderness.”

Sani further mocked El-Rufai’s criticism of the current leadership, including the former governor’s claim that Nigeria is being led by illiterates. Sani pointed out that El-Rufai’s frustration stemmed from being overlooked by the Tinubu administration.

“He is like a man who was turned down by a woman and then resorts to speaking ill of her. Tinubu was his angel until he was evicted from the house; now he tells the world Tinubu is a demon,” Sani quipped. “The government is led by illiterates because they refused to hire professor midget.”

Sani also accused El-Rufai of becoming a desperate figure, seeking attention through divisive rhetoric. “He is now jobless, often seeking invitations to northern events where he stokes sectional sentiments,” Sani added.

El-Rufai’s controversial remarks were made during a national conference in Abuja on Monday, January 29, which focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democracy. At the event, he criticized the current leadership, claiming that the nation’s governance had reached a “national emergency” due to incompetent leadership.

“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today,” El-Rufai said, adding that the state of governance and opposition in Nigeria was dire.

El-Rufai’s public comments have sparked further political tensions, with many questioning his sudden shift from staunch supporter to vocal critic of the current administration.