Former lawmaker Senator Shehu Sani has criticized ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over his comments on alleged nepotism within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, accused El-Rufai of selective criticism, stating that the former governor remained silent during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration despite similar issues.

Taking to his X handle, Sani responded to El-Rufai’s remarks, saying, “There were people who were silent when Buhari was filling political offices with his kinsmen and have now found their voice to speak out when the equation doesn’t favor them.”

He further alleged that El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure marginalised Southern Kaduna, describing the state as an “apartheid state” during that period.

While acknowledging that criticisms of Tinubu’s appointments are valid, Sani argued that El-Rufai is not in a position to speak on the issue.

The controversy escalated after El-Rufai shared a post by US-based Nigerian professor Farooq Kperogi, who accused Tinubu of adopting a “Lagos mindset” by dominating economic appointments with people from the Southwest. Kperogi compared this to Buhari’s concentration of security sector appointments among northerners during his presidency.

In sharing Kperogi’s post, El-Rufai wrote, “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” adding that “sensible inclusion trumps senseless exclusion.”

Sani’s response has further fueled discussions on alleged lopsided appointments in successive Nigerian administrations.