It reportedly took the intervention of the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomole, a leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, and the national chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, Balarabe Musa, to prevent Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, from defecting from the APC.

Until the eve of the defection day, Mr Sani was among aggrieved senators who were set to dump the party, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

On Tuesday, 15 members of the ruling party changed allegiance, with 12 joining the PDP.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES Friday evening, Mr Sani said the intervention of the party leaders averted his defection plan.

“My defection was stopped by Asiwaju Tinubu, Oshiomole and Balarabe Musa. First of all, they recognised and accepted the fact that an injustice has been done to me in Kaduna.

“Balarabe Musa invited me to his house, cautioned and counselled me against defection. Asiwaju did the same thing. Adams Oshiomole reminded me of my activism and the struggles.

“They drew my attention to the fact that all those who defected to the PDP were once PDP members. I don’t have the pedigree of PDP. I’m an activist.

“The assurance they gave me was that everything will be sorted out. They assured me that they will intervene on issues which I raised. Because of that I could not defect.”

Apart from the three, the lawmaker alluded his change of mind to interventions by lawyer, Femi Falana, religious leaders and his constituents.

Mr Sani said he raised five issues the party leaders were to address.

“The first was the fact that the governor (El-Rufai) engineered my suspension and neither the presidency nor the party have ever lend a voice about that.”

“Secondly, my office was attacked five times by thugs. Thirdly, the governor tried to frame me in a murder case. Then the governor publicly incited the general public to attack me because we denied him loan.

“The governor also demolished the house of the national vice chairman of the party when he tried to intervene.”

Mr Sani said his decision to dump the party was upturned a night before the formal announcement on the floor of the Senate.

He added that his colleagues, who later defected mounted intense pressure on him to yield.

“I was under intense pressure from my colleagues who defected, to defect along with them. I explained to them that we have different political constituencies, calculations and background.

On his plan ahead of 2019, Mr Sani said he would contest for the senatorial seat again.

But he quickly added: “It’s still open, it depends on the decision of the party. I’m going to contest for the Senate. That is it for now.”