El-Rufai’s Governance Scars Felt Across Entire Kaduna,Says APC Chieftain

​BAUCHI — The governance challenges and socio-political divisions witnessed during the administration of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, resonated across the entire state rather than being confined to any single region, a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Khamis Musa Darazo, has declared.

​Darazo, a prominent loyalist of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, made the observation while reacting to attempts by various commentators to attach sectional and religious narratives to recent explosive remarks made by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), during a television interview.

​The Defence minister had earlier appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he heavily criticized El-Rufai’s legacy, describing the political atmosphere of that era as “toxic” and accusing the former governor of deepening fault lines between the northern and southern parts of the state.

​Clarifying the minister’s choice of words, Darazo emphasized that references made by the Defence chief regarding affected populations should be interpreted comprehensively to encompass all residents of Kaduna State.

​”The reality is that the grievances surrounding El-Rufai’s style of governance were felt across Kaduna State and not exclusively by the people of Southern Kaduna,” Darazo stated. “Our people can never mean only Southern Kaduna. It means the people of Kaduna State as a whole. Different communities experienced different challenges, and it is unfair to erase the experiences of others by presenting the matter as though it concerned only one section of the state.”

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​The APC chieftain strongly rejected insinuations from certain quarters that the Defence Minister’s critique was driven by religious bias against El-Rufai, who is a Muslim. He pointed out that such interpretations are deeply misplaced, noting that both President Tinubu and the current Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, are Muslims who have consistently worked to bridge divides and foster harmony.

​”The Minister did not call out Nasir El-Rufai because he is a Muslim. That interpretation is completely misplaced,” Darazo asserted. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani are both Muslims, yet both have continued to demonstrate efforts toward reducing division and promoting unity.”

​Urging commentators and the public to steer clear of regional or religious polarization, Darazo maintained that he would not support any movement attempting to exploit political discourse to fracture national cohesion. He stressed that the primary focus of leadership and public commentary ought to center on advancing security, justice, peace, and inclusive governance.

​”As a loyalist of President Tinubu and someone who believes strongly in national unity, I will not support attempts to turn this matter into a religious or regional confrontation,” he said. “Kaduna belongs to all its people, and no community should be made to feel that its experience does not matter.”