The political temperature in Kaduna State has reached a boiling point as the state government, led by Governor Uba Sani, has issued a scathing public rebuke of former governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of orchestrating a campaign to incite violence, sow discord, and drag the state back into its turbulent past.
In a statement released by Dr. Suleiman Shuaibu, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the government warned that El-Rufai’s recent actions and public commentary pose a direct threat to the stability of the state.
Shuaibu said, “Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has made it glaringly obvious that he cannot stomach the progress Kaduna is making under Governor Uba Sani.
“In just two years, Kaduna has transitioned from the brink of collapse to a growing beacon of hope, unity, and development,” the statement said.
The commissioner accused El-Rufai of deliberately attempting to reignite ethno-religious tensions and destabilise the state following his political setbacks in the August 16 bye-elections, in which candidates loyal to him were soundly defeated.
According to the government, the former governor responded by convening an “illegal and chaotic” meeting on August 30 that ended in violence.
The government also condemned El-Rufai’s recent interview on Channels Television, in which he alleged that both federal and state authorities were “bribing bandits” to maintain a façade of peace in northern Nigeria.
Describing the claims as “malicious lies,” the state warned that such rhetoric could incite public anger, undermine security efforts, and legitimise criminality.
The statement read, “Let there be no doubt, the Kaduna State Government has the capacity, the resolve, and the legal backing to deal decisively with any individual or group that seeks to destabilise the state.
“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s time is over. Kaduna belongs to the future, not to the ruins of the past.”
El-Rufai Fires Back
But El-Rufai, never one to shy away from a political dogfight, came out swinging with a lengthy social media response. He doubled down on his claims, insisting that elements within the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Kaduna State Government are colluding with non-state actors under the guise of peacekeeping.
El-Rufai said, “We are not the first to reveal the government’s ongoing greasing of the palms of non-state actors in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, Kebbi, and other states.
El-Rufai asserted, cited community leaders and clerics who have also condemned alleged payments to bandits.
He accused the ONSA of abandoning its core intelligence responsibilities in favour of “lousy protocol” and public relations campaigns.
He also charged the Kaduna government with attempting to muzzle dissent and stifle political alternatives, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC), whose meeting was reportedly disrupted by state agents.
“They are advised to concentrate their efforts on solving security issues, rather than seeing in the misery of affected citizens opportunities to claim false glories and divert and squander funds,” El-Rufai said.
He described the Kaduna government’s statements as a “predictable hot air” response designed to deflect from his core criticisms.
A Dangerous Standoff
The escalating war of words highlights the growing rift within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a deepening crisis in Kaduna politics.
While El-Rufai remains a polarising figure with substantial grassroots support, the current administration is determined to chart a new course and shed what it describes as “the ruins of the past.”
Political observers warn that this bitter rivalry could have wider implications beyond Kaduna, especially as Nigeria continues to grapple with persistent insecurity, political polarisation, and governance challenges in the northern region.
For now, Kaduna teeters on a political knife-edge, caught between a past it’s trying to escape and a future still uncertain.
