Shehu Sani, Fmr. Senator, Civil Rights Activist
Fault Lines of Power: Shehu Sani’s Candid Take on Ethnicity, Religion, and Nigeria’s Democratic Decline
In a sobering reflection on Nigeria’s political trajectory, former senator and civil rights activist Shehu Sani has sounded the alarm over what he describes as the corrosive influence of ethnicity and religion on the country’s democracy. Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, Sani didn’t hold back, arguing that tribal and religious loyalties have become the dominant forces shaping political decisions, appointments, and allegiances, often at the expense of justice, equity, and national unity.
Sani, who
once represented Kaduna Central in the Senate, pointed to the pattern of
ethnically skewed appointments under successive administrations. He criticized
the “Hausanisation and Fulanisation” of political offices during the Buhari
era, noting that key positions, from the military to immigration and customs, were
overwhelmingly filled by northerners. He then turned his gaze to the current
administration, accusing it of “Yorubanisation” in its own appointments. For
Sani, both trends are equally damaging, perpetuating a cycle of favoritism and
exclusion that undermines the very fabric of democracy.
He
dismissed claims that the North is being marginalized under President Tinubu,
arguing that the region continues to receive the lion’s share of federal
allocations due to its larger number of states and local governments. In his
view, if any region has a legitimate grievance, it is the Southeast, which has
faced systemic neglect across multiple administrations.
Beyond
appointments, Sani lamented the broader cultural tendency among African leaders
to surround themselves with people from their own ethnic or religious
backgrounds once in power. He recounted instances where heads of federal agencies
prioritized hiring from their own tribes, regardless of merit. This, he warned,
breeds resentment, weakens institutions, and erodes public trust.
Sani also
took aim at the opposition, describing it as a collection of recycled
politicians with no ideological distinction from the ruling party. He argued
that figures like Obi, Atiku, and Tinubu are not fundamentally different in
their approach to governance, and that Nigeria’s political crisis stems from a
lack of credible alternatives and a failure to build parties rooted in
principle rather than personality.
In his
closing remarks, Sani rejected the idea that a national conference could solve
Nigeria’s problems. What the country needs, he insisted, is not another round
of dialogue, but a commitment to justice, fairness, and the dismantling of
ethnic and religious barriers in public life. Until then, democracy will remain
fragile, and the dream of a united Nigeria will continue to slip further out of
reach.
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