L-R: Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai and Governor Uba Sani
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There is no love lost between the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and his political godson, Uba Sani following the discovery that Kaduna State was hugely indebted to a whooping sum of $600 million foreign debt, CAPITAL POST has gathered on Saturday.
Uba Sani who had been an aide to El-Rufai for years before he became a Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, replacing the cerebral Shehu Sani, an activist, was one of the downward spiral in Kaduna politics.
Despite the anomaly and other decision taken by the former governor El-Rufai that left bitter taste in mouths of APC members and supporters during his tenure, he had yet again opted for Senator Uba Sani as his choice of successor in the 2023 general election.
El-Rufai’s preference for Uba Sani, CAPITAL POST learnt, was due to his facilitation of foreign and domestic loans for El-Rufai’s administration when he was the Chairman on Banking, Insurance and Financial Institutions in the 9th Senate.
Sani has also been El-Rufai’s longest aide, stooge and a ‘yes man’.
Unfortunately, empty treasury was handed over to Uba Sani on May 29, 2023 as the State was discovered to be under foreign and domestic financial liability such that governance has been completely crippled with nothing happening in the past seven months.
Amid Uba Sani’s claims that El-Rufai left empty treasury for him which he was unable to initiate fresh projects, even as over 40 uncompleted projects by the immediate past administration littered all over Kaduna State, well-meaning individuals accused Uba Sani of being part of the problem for facilitating loans for El-Rufai when he was in the 9th Senate.
Appointment into Uba Sani’s cabinet
El-Rufai in his bid for a continuous influence in Uba’s government suggested his former Deputy Governor of eight years, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, to yet again deputise Uba Sani. Some Commissioners, Special Advisers and Aides were also handed over to Uba Sani for appointment, but the straw that break the carmel’s back was when Uba Sani resisted El-Rufai preference of Hafiz Bayero as Secretary to the State Government, SSG and appointed Abdulkadir Mayere. The development infuriated El-Rufai which he disclosed to those close to him.
The source close to Kaduna State government further told CAPITAL POST that when Senate rejected El-Rufai nomination as Minister over security concerns which was contained in the DSS report to the upper Chamber, El-Rufai had recommended Muhammad Sani Dattijo as replacement, but which governor Uba Sani staunchly opposed and rather recommended Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
Lamentation in Kaduna over Uba Sani’s woeful administration
Currently, the people of Kaduna State are lamenting the slide of government into payment of half salaries to workers, a trend that hardly happen since the existence of Kaduna State.
There is also no pipe borne water in Kaduna as the State water board has completely parked due to break down in infrastructure which the state government was too broke to carry out repairs and maintenances.
Blame game
Though both sides are carefully avoiding the media when expressing disappointment at each other, El-Rufai has deliberately kept governor Uba Sani at arms length few weeks after handing over to him. It is recalled that El-Rufai promised to guide and offer advice to Uba Sani when he was being briefed preparatory to taking over governance in May, that has never happened as the duo developed frosty relationship over political interests.
It was learnt that they were two loyal party members that were tipped for governorship, but El-Rufai was said to have been pressured by his wife and some family members to settle for Senator Uba Sani. A development that he was now those who suggested Uba Sani to him to adopt.
Some APC members were quick to knock the former governor for his high handedness and dictatorial tendencies which they posited has destroyed APC in Kaduna State. An APC member and a resident of Kawo, Abdulaziz Sumaila while speaking with our correspondent narrated how El-Rufai forcefully removed Senator Shehu Sani from the Senate after only four years. According to him, foreign debt that has become the nightmare of Kaduna State was earlier blocked in the 8th Senate by Shehu Sani who didn’t want arbitrary loan for the State because of its dire consequences.
He said: “May Allah judge those who plunged Kaduna State into this mess. I am an APC member and I recalled that former governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai forcefully stopped Senator Shehu Sani from going back to the Senate in the 9th National Assembly.
“El-Rufai insisted on Uba Sani and all efforts by stakeholders to wade in was rebuffed by El-Rufai. Again, El-Rufai brought Uba Sani as his successor.. As I speak with you, all those loyal party members like Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi who left the party because of El-Rufai are back with Uba Sani and the same El-Rufai who brought the present governor is angry the more”, he stated.
Kaduna State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal
Checks revealed that Nasir El-Rufai did not congratulate Uba Sani on his victory at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and at the Court of Appeal. Uba Sani’s victory at poll was challenged by the rival Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate, Isa Ashiru Kudan.
Though, Uba Sani would invite El-Rufai for a government function in Kaduna, but he neither attended nor sent a representative.
Recently, El-Rufai’s brother and the Emir of Zaria died and when they both met at burial, the former governor was said to have shunned Uba Sani’s presence openly which suggested a deep seated crisis between the two..
CAPITAL POST also gathered that El-Rufai will be crowned with a Chieftaincy of Gbobaniyi of Ijebuland by the paramount ruller, His Royal Majesty Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona without an invitation of Governor Uba Sani.
El-Rufai wrote on his X (formerly Twitter handle) announcing that the event will take place on Saturday 16th December.
He wrote: “I am pleased to announce that on Saturday, the 16th of December 2023, His Royal Majesty Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona the Paramount Ruler and Awujale of Ijebuland will honour my brother and confidante Otunba Jimi Lawal with two (yes, not one but two) chieftaincy titles for his contributions to the Ijebu Kingdom and Nigeria, along with his wife Maryam Lawal.
“I am also privileged to be the first Nigerian outside of South-West of Nigeria to be conferred with a chieftaincy title by the Awujale in his nearly 64-year reign. I am to be recognized as the Gbobaniyi of Ijebuland.
“I am grateful to Kabiyesi Awujale for the recognition and thank all those who have wished me well for this. Please join me, Jimi, and our families and friends in prayers for a hitch free event, and good health, long life and prosperity of His Majesty Awujale and all of us. – Nasir “
