Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has dismissed suggestions that he is politically mentored by his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-...
Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has dismissed suggestions that he is politically mentored by his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, declaring instead that his political path has been shaped by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday programme, Governor Sani said his focus remained on delivering governance in Kaduna State, and not responding to speculative labels about his political loyalties. He explained that although many people had played influential roles in his life, El-Rufai was not his mentor.
“I don’t think it is necessary to respond to that comment,” he said. “What I can say is that there are a lot of people in my life. Even President Bola Tinubu — I met him in 1994 at the house of Beko Ransome-Kuti. Gani is a leader and father to me, because during the era of struggle, I lived and stayed in his house. My focus is Kaduna. I don’t talk about individuals; I don’t get distracted. My eyes are on the ball.”
The governor also rejected claims that his administration was paying ransom to bandits in conflict-prone areas of the state. He said such allegations were false and politically motivated. According to him, the state government had neither paid a dime to any criminal group nor entered into ransom negotiations. He explained that the idea of community-based, non-kinetic engagement came from local leaders, and was considered alongside kinetic efforts by security forces.
“Some politicians are playing with insecurity. People should ignore them. We are not paying ransom to any bandit,” he said. “The community leaders came up with the non-kinetic idea, and I listened to them. We have not paid one person a dime. Anyone suggesting otherwise is only trying to mislead the public.”
On the recent disruption of a transition committee meeting organised by the opposition, Governor Sani denied any involvement and emphasised his respect for democratic freedoms and the rule of law. As a former activist and political detainee, he said he would never support any form of political repression.
“As someone who fought for the rule of law and was detained five times, I will never be part of anything to stop anyone’s political activities,” he said. “Our leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, always told us to respect the police force if we didn’t want anarchy. The police are investigating, and we should allow them to do their work.”
Highlighting the All Progressives Congress’ performance in the last general elections, Governor Sani said the party’s electoral victories in areas previously dominated by the opposition were a reflection of inclusive governance. He noted that APC’s success in local government areas like Chikun and Kajuru, which had historically leaned towards opposition parties, signalled a shift in public trust.
“In Kaduna, APC won 70 per cent of the elections. We had never won Chikun and Kajuru before. Only two years ago, Labour Party won there, but this time, we carried everyone along. We don’t run government on the basis of religion or ethnicity,” he added.
No comments