Northern CAN: El-Rufai’s southern Kaduna remarks evidence of deep-seated hatred for his people

The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the north has criticised Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, over his recent comments about the people of southern Kaduna.

In an interview on Sunday, el-Rufai claimed that certain groups in southern Kaduna acted with a sense of entitlement, which he resisted during his time as governor.

He said his approach to governance was firm and fair, adding that he did not tolerate what he described as “nonsense” from any group.

The former governor claimed that southern Kaduna accounts for less than 25 percent of Kaduna population.

“There are people in southern Kaduna that feel entitled to behave in a certain way, and I didn’t take it. I dealt with them. Just as the IMN, Al-Zakzaki’s people who thought that they could do anything they want and get away with it, we dealt with them,” he said.

“El-Zakzaki people are Muslims, like me. But I didn’t take any nonsense from them. Go and ask them. They consider me an enemy.

“I don’t care. The people that think I’m a fundamentalist don’t know me. They have never met me. They have formed their opinion. And frankly, the reason why my enemies are very vehement at hating me is because I don’t care what they think. It’s the way I am.”

Reacting to el-Rufai’s statement, John Hayab, the chairman of the CAN in the north, described the former governor’s remarks as “dangerous, divisive, and evidence of deep-seated hatred” for southern Kaduna.

Hayab, who led Kaduna CAN during el-Rufai’s administration, said many southern Kaduna families are led by pastors who do not practise polygamy, yet households with 15 to 23 children are common, proving the population is “robust and can never be written off”.

“Everything El-Rufai promotes is evil,” Hayab said, accusing the former governor of deliberately marginalising southern Kaduna communities and undermining peace and unity in the state.

Hayab expressed disappointment at el-Rufai’s “lack of remorse” for his policies, saying it exposed the former governor’s “disdain” for the people he governed.

The cleric refuted el-Rufai’s claim that only those unfamiliar with him label him a religious fundamentalist, saying, “I knew him personally and speak from painful experiences endured under his government”.

Hayab contrasted the relative peace currently enjoyed in Kaduna with the “hostility” during el-Rufai’s rule.

He called for the inclusion of religion and ethnicity in future census exercises to prevent manipulation of population figures by political actors.

“This peace explains why el-Rufai appears bitter and angry, because harmony among the people weakens the divisive agenda he thrived on,” he said.

“Our nation’s unity can only be strengthened when all citizens are treated with dignity and truth is not sacrificed for political convenience.”