Human rights activist, Comrade Shehu Sani, has said Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, was not known during the June 12 struggle.
Sani, a former senator, was one of those imprisoned by the military over their stance for restoration of civil order.
In a speech he delivered at a dinner organised at the presidential villa in Abuja on Democracy Day, Sani paid tribute to Mallam Uba Sani, incumbent governor of Kaduna, for his role in the days of actiism.
However, some persons wrongly attributed his accolade to El-Rufai, prompting him to issue a clarification.
“I wish to make this correction erroneously published in some media houses. What I said at the venue of the Democracy Day event was that the Man who stood for us during our years in prison in the 90s was the Present Governor of Kaduna state and NOT the immediate past one.”
“Governor Uba maintained the contact between us and our families and took the baton of the struggle to Northern Nigeria. He kept in touch with the pro democracy and progressive forces until he was later nabbed by the DSS, released and again arrested and beaten by the Police. Falana, Mike Ozekhome, Femi Aborishade, Col Umar, Mrs Obe, Mrs Odumakin, John Danfulani, Kalat Ali ,Nike Kuti and Agbakoba can attest to this. The former Kaduna Governor was unknown during the struggle.
“The history of the June 12 struggle is incomplete without mentioning the role played by Professor Ezekwesili, Prof Jibril Ibrahim, late Arthur Nwakwo, Nkoyo Toyo, President Sowore, Segun Mayegun, James Bawa Magaji, Nasir Kura, Awwal Rafsanjani, Late Ezeife, Yohanna Madaki, Gambo Sawaba, Barister Bamidele Aturu, Solomon Lar, Dan Suleiman, Ndubuisi Kanu and Dr Fredrick Fasheun.”