From Abba Dukawa, Abuja
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has said he will not be distracted by political comments or comparisons involving his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, stressing that his focus remains on governance and delivering results to the people.
Speaking during an interview on Politics on Sunday with Femi Akande of TVC, the governor distanced himself from suggestions that El-Rufai is his political mentor, insisting that his loyalty and inspiration come from President Bola Tinubu and the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to respond to that comment because for me, it’s something I feel I have no time to respond to,” Sani said. “I have a lot of people that I worked with in my life. For example, I met President Bola Tinubu in 1994 and I still regard him as my leader. Chief Gani Fawehinmi was a leader and father to me because during the era of struggle, I lived in his house. Speaking about me, I’ll not comment. All I can say is that I don’t talk about individuals. I don’t get distracted — my eyes are on the ball.”
On insecurity, Governor Sani highlighted progress in restoring peace across Kaduna through a mix of military operations and community-driven initiatives.
He stressed that insecurity in the northwest is rooted in economic challenges, unlike the insurgency in the northeast, and requires tailored responses.
“When we came in, we realized the insecurity in Kaduna was different… we engaged community and religious leaders alongside security agencies, and today the issue has been largely addressed,” he said.
The governor pointed to the reopening of 162 schools and 222 healthcare centres, the recovery of more than 500,000 hectares of farmland, and the revival of markets closed for years as evidence of success.
He dismissed allegations that his administration was paying bandits, describing the Kaduna model as a community-led initiative that restored trust between government and citizens.
“Our Kaduna model has nothing to do with paying bandits. We have not paid one naira to anybody. It is a community-driven initiative supported by traditional and religious leaders, and it has worked,” he said.
Sani also reaffirmed his support for the creation of state police, noting that Nigeria lacks enough security personnel to cover its vast territory. He said Kaduna’s peace today is a result of rebuilding trust and adopting both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.
