The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, says the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has effectively turned the state into a one-party stronghold, declaring that opposition politics has all but disappeared.
Sani made the remarks on Thursday while receiving a presidential delegation that included Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy. The team was in the state to inspect ongoing development projects across the north-west.
Addressing government officials and party stakeholders, the governor said: “there is no more opposition” in Kaduna, insisting the APC’s dominance is a reflection of political consolidation rather than exclusion.
“To my commissioners, I just want to thank you, and I can assure you that Kaduna state, as we are speaking, we have no opposition. That’s the fact of the matter. We have brought Kaduna into a one-party state and I have no apology for that,” he said.
“I have no apology because some latter day journalists were asking questions. You go to studio, they ask questions and they answer the questions themselves.
“Before getting to the studio, they already have their own opinion, and they want you to listen to them. But we can’t do that. Most of them have no historical perspectives of where we are coming from.”
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Sani also praised Bola Tinubu, claiming the president has delivered unprecedented support to northern Nigeria in less than three years in office.
“No president has supported northern Nigeria as President Tinubu has done in less than three years,” he said.
“And that is also why I cannot see any zone, not even the south-west, coming down to vote more for him than us. Let me make it clear to all of you, President Tinubu has done more for the north than any leader in this country.”
Reflecting on past security challenges, the governor recalled a 2022 visit to Birnin Gwari, noting improvements since then.
“I could remember when he visited Birnin Gwari on the 12th of December, 2022. It was a journey of less than two hours, but it took us five hours,” he said.
“The problem was security, because at that time you could not travel from Kaduna to Birnin Gwari without military escort. But today, you can go there without police escort.”
He added that improved infrastructure and security have boosted economic activity, especially for farmers and small businesses.
Sani dismissed Tinubu’s chances
Sani dismissed concerns about Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 elections, arguing that grassroots support outweighs online criticism.
“All the people talking that the president won’t win elections — if elections are conducted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and social media, that’s where he will lose. But if it is people that vote at polling units, he is going to get 70 percent of the votes. That is the fact of the matter,” he said.
“It’s not about social media, it’s about working on the ground. The masses appreciate President Tinubu because they know poverty has no religion and no tribal boundaries.”
In response, Onanuga said the presidential visit was aimed at assessing how states are utilising funds from subsidy removal, adding that Kaduna stands out in delivering impactful projects.
“The president has been taking the bullets for these economic decisions to better the economy of the country,” he said.
“From what we have seen in Kaduna, this money has gone into development projects that are impacting the lives of ordinary citizens.
“From rural roads connecting farming communities to skills acquisition centres empowering youth, I will tell the president that Kaduna is a role model in the effective utilisation of the funds given to states.”
