A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has launched a sharp rebuke against his successor, Governor Uba Sani, accusing him of sycophancy and pandering to President Bola Tinubu for personal gain.
El-Rufai’s criticism followed remarks made by Sani during a TVC News interview on Monday, February 3, where the governor expressed surprise at the increasing criticism of Tinubu’s administration from some of the founding members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In his response via a tweet on Tuesday, February 4, El-Rufai alleged that Sani’s unwavering support for President Tinubu was driven by the over N150 billion in federal reimbursements that Kaduna State had received over the past 18 months.
El-Rufai pointed to the federal interventions, grants, and reimbursements as the key reason behind Sani’s public defence of Tinubu, describing the governor’s behaviour as embarrassing and sycophantic.
“Every day I see this governor embarrassingly and sycophantically rambling, I used to wonder why? However, confirming that Federal Government ‘reimbursements, interventions, and grants’ in excess of N150bn have been given selectively to Kaduna by Tinubu in the last 18 months now explains everything,” El-Rufai wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
El-Rufai did not hold back, adding that while Sani could continue to defend Tinubu, it was the people of Kaduna who would ultimately pass judgment on his actions.
“By all means, defend Asiwaju for the conditional cash transfer. Asiwaju has earned it, coming from you. The people of Kaduna State will judge at the right time and place. Have a nice day,” he concluded.
Uba Sani’s remarks on Tinubu’s critics
During the TV interview, Governor Uba Sani had strongly criticised some APC members who had publicly disapproved of Tinubu’s policies, calling their actions “unfortunate” and “undemocratic.”
Sani expressed his surprise at the coalition of politicians who had made critical remarks at this crucial time, particularly those advocating for people to take laws into their own hands in opposition to the government.
“I was really surprised when I heard the coalition of politicians coming together at this critical time to make most of those comments they made. Some of them were even calling for people to come out and take laws into their hands, oppose the government in a way that I feel is undemocratic,” Sani said.
Sani further challenged those criticising the president, urging them to wait until the 2027 elections to test their popularity.
“Of course, I also want to make it clear here that we’re in a democratic dispensation, and we have just about two and a half years to the next election. Any politician who feels he is popular or can defeat Bola Ahmed Tinubu or the APC should work hard and present themselves in the next election,” he added.
The exchange between El-Rufai and Sani highlights the ongoing tensions within the APC, as the party continues to navigate internal divisions and growing public discontent.
