By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has issued a stern warning to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of plotting to destabilise the state and undermine the peace achieved under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Suleiman Shuiabu, alleged that El-Rufai’s recent actions and remarks posed a direct threat to unity, stability, and development.
“This government will not stand idly by while a discredited former leader, who left the state in disarray, attempts to ignite chaos and plunge Kaduna back into an era of ethno-religious tension, insecurity, and economic decline,” the statement read.
Dr Shuiabu claimed that El-Rufai’s agitation intensified after his political allies suffered defeat in the August 16 bye-elections. He added that the polls were transparent and reflected the people’s renewed confidence in the APC-led government.
According to him, the former governor allegedly sponsored a meeting of his political coalition on August 30 that descended into violence and gunfire. “Instead of accepting defeat with dignity, El-Rufai resorted to sabotage and misinformation, even accusing government of disrupting the gathering. Such claims are not only insulting but expose his desperation to return Kaduna to the violence that defined his tenure,” Shuiabu stated.
The commissioner also criticised El-Rufai’s recent comments on national television, where he claimed federal and state governments had bribed bandits. He described the allegation as malicious and calculated to incite public anger and undermine ongoing security efforts.
He emphasised that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) had already debunked the allegation, confirming that neither the federal government nor Kaduna State had made payments to criminal groups. Instead, he said, sustained military operations and grassroots peace initiatives had brought relative calm to previously volatile areas, including Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kajuru, and Kauru.
“For a former governor to deny these verifiable achievements and insult the sacrifice of security personnel who died in service is beyond shameful. It is a calculated act of sabotage,” Shuiabu asserted.
The statement recalled that El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure was marked by division, fear, and marginalisation, contrasting it with Governor Sani’s inclusive and people-focused administration. It pointed to improvements in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and financial inclusion as evidence of Kaduna’s ongoing recovery.
“El-Rufai thrives in chaos and cannot stand progress he did not orchestrate. Kaduna has moved forward, and this government will not permit him or anyone else to drag the state back into darkness,” it said.
Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to peace and good governance, the commissioner called on residents to reject attempts to inflame tensions. He stressed that security agencies have the resources and determination to respond firmly to any destabilising acts.
“The peace of Kaduna is non-negotiable. Anyone who attempts to undermine it, whether El-Rufai or his associates, will be held to account,” Shuiabu concluded.
