FORMER senator and current Kaduna governorship aspirant, Shehu Sani, has, following his defeat at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries in Kaduna State, compared the party’s delegates to bandits who collect ransom.
“There is no difference between bandits who collect ransom and delegates who collect money to vote, he said in a statement after securing only two votes.
He alleged that the voting process was marred by bribery and corruption with delegates collecting money to vote for unqualified candidates and vowed not to bribe delegates to vote for him. “No one should pay any delegate on my behalf…I don’t believe in the political ritual of paying to be elected. That is inconsistent with my ideological and moral beliefs,” Senator Sani had stated before the election.
Responding to questions about the outcome of the election, on Thursday, Sani said he was proud he did not bribe anyone to vote for him.
“I was not unaware of the decadence in our political system and processes that we have helplessly and unconscionably accepted and embraced.
“My participation is to expose the system and open it for an honest conversation as a way of rescuing our political system from institutionalised corruption, that has made it impossible for credible people to participate in politics and for men and women of honour to emerge as leaders.
“Literally, have not lost the primaries, I’ve lost a political bidding process and an auction. We can’t continue to recruit, select or elect our leaders through a dishonourable delegate system that thrust politicians to power weighing on the amount of money they pay to a select few.
“We don’t compromise our principles for our politics. The seed of our political system is deeply corrupted. Delegate system ensures and guarantees the accession of criminals to the throne of power.
“The two clean votes I got without paying out of hundreds, tells much about the impropriety of politics of our country than about myself.
“If we don’t courageously and consciously revolt against cash and carry politics, it’s impossible to sanitise our country and impossible for the younger generation to aspire for the position of leadership.
“There is no difference between bandits who collect ransom and delegates who collect money to vote. It’s a contradiction for any society to object to ransom payment and accept paying for votes,” he said.
A former member of the House of representatives, Isah Ashiru, clinched the PDP governorship ticket in Kaduna. He defeated other aspirants including a former head of National Emergency Management Agency, Sani Sidi, a former governor of the state, Ramalan Yero, and Senator Sani, among others.
