The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, has decried the use of thugs by politicians during elections, to protect and preserve their power.
Shehu Sani who was defeated at the NASS elections which held on February 23, said thugs have become institutional agents of the ruling parties and governing structures.
In a series of Tweets made between 23-24th March, Sani lamented over the violence encountered in several areas where the supplementary polls have held.
He noted that these thugs are funded clandestinely by governors from the public treasury, adding that the thugs are endorsed and positioned to cause mayhem in a bid to protect the interest of these governors.
“Armed thugs have become institutional agents of ruling parties & Governing structures; They are crude components of power, funded clandestinely by Governors from the public treasury. They are endorsed & positioned to protect & preserve power by murder, mayhem & atrocious violence.”
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Sani further argued that the mild and modest references of local and international observers with regards to the use of thugs in previous elections made it possible for the practice to repeat itself.
He said, “Local and International Observers ‘mild and modest’ reference and reactions to the use of Thugs by those in power in the previous elections, made it possible for the practice to repeat itself and this time more audacious”.
Still speaking about the elections, Sani lamented over the manner in which politicians do outrageous things just to win polls.
“They buy those they can buy, maul those they can maul, bury those they can bury, on their way to lift their trophy tainted with the blood of their victims,” Sani said.
He added that “Every time the Government turns a blind eye to those leaders holding positions of power or influence, whom by their actions or words promote or incite bloodletting, to protect or preserve their spaces in the stage of power, it has given its consent to violence against its people.
“The People are beginning to learn the mystery and tragedy of their Kingdom; Whenever the King travels, Knives grows in their gardens and whenever he’s back, it’s Roses”.
Shehu Sani also spoke about the role of social media in bringing the mayhems wrought by political thugs and their paymasters to the fore and the attacks on social media by those who do not mean the country well.
He said, “When they were ‘going to power’, Social Media was their Horse; When they arrived at power, Social Media became their Frankenstein monster.”
Sani surmised that “When you divide a people to get to the throne, you will sit on a two-legged royal throne” adding that “A truth buried is unearthed by the shovel of Justice or by the digger of time”.
