By: Mike Odeh James
(Abuja)
Former Governor Nasiru El Rufai’s audacious attempt to subvert President Bola Tinubu’s authority was a breathtaking display of political hubris.
He erroneously assumed that Tinubu would be a pliable pushover, akin to former President Goodluck Jonathan or the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua.
El Rufai brazenly embarked on a mission to build a coalition against Tinubu, traversing the landscape to woo former friends and foes alike, all in a bid to undermine the President ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, Tinubu astutely read El Rufai’s moves, and swiftly mobilized a counteroffensive – leveraging the very same ammunition that El Rufai had previously deployed during his tenure as governor.
El Rufai’s tumultuous tenure as governor was marked by gross mishandling of the Southern Kaduna crisis, a divisive Muslim-Muslim ticket, and a blatant disregard for human rights.
His administration’s draconian measures against journalists and organized labor were a stark reminder of his authoritarian tendencies. The concentration of infrastructure projects in areas dominated by his coreligionists was a blatant display of nepotism. Meanwhile, the state’s resources were squandered on abandoned projects, perpetuating a culture of waste and corruption.
El Rufai, who had previously accused previous administrations of corruption, nepotism, and financial recklessness, was openly involved in financial misappropriation and recklessness. However, being the Governor then, all his deeds were covered up
Having installed Uba Sani as his successor, the dictator in Kashim Ibrahim House felt comfortable that his deeds would be covered forever. However, six months into leaving office, details of his shoddy and murky deals started trickling. The indictment by the State House of Assembly was the final nail in his coffin.
El Rufai’s inflammatory rhetoric and actions fanned the flames of interfaith tensions, culminating in violent clashes that devastated communities. His callous response to the crisis only exacerbated the suffering. Now, the House of Assembly’s indictment exposes his financial mismanagement, revealing a trail of corruption and abuse of power.
El Rufai’s hypocrisy and lack of accountability during his tenure as Governor are staggering.
His actions demonstrate a profound disdain for the people he swore to serve. As the truth comes to light, it is clear that El Rufai’s leadership was a calamity for Kaduna State.
His legacy must be reckoned with, and justice must be served. The question now is: will he attempt to flee, as he has done before, or will he stay to fight his cause? Only time will tell.
It is clear that Kaduna under Governor Uba Sani, Kaduna is now free of the shackles that imposed by El Rufai.
Furthermore, by allowing the State House of Assembly to do a good job, Uba Sani has proved himself to be a canny politician .
It is also worthy of note that Uba is gradually rebuilding and healing the Kaduna state of all the evil viles of his predecessor, therefore setting a model for others to follow .