Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, has dismissed insinuations that he is under the political mentorship of his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, stressing that his guiding influences remain President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the late human rights icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Governor Sani said it was unnecessary to respond to suggestions of being El-Rufai’s protégé, noting that his attention is firmly on delivering good governance in Kaduna.
“I don’t think it is necessary to respond to that comment,” he said. “There are many people who have influenced my life. Even President Bola Tinubu—I met him in 1994 at the house of Beko Ransome-Kuti. Gani is a leader and father to me because during the era of struggle, I lived and stayed in his house. My focus is Kaduna. I don’t talk about individuals; I don’t get distracted; my eyes are on the ball.”
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On security, the governor debunked allegations that his administration has been paying ransom to bandits, insisting such claims were false narratives peddled for political purposes.
“Some politicians are playing with insecurity. People should ignore them. We are not paying ransom to any bandit,” he said. “The community leaders came up with the non-kinetic idea, and I listened to them. We have not paid one person a dime. Anyone suggesting otherwise is only trying to mislead the public.”
Governor Sani explained that his government has adopted a combined approach of military operations and community-based strategies, particularly in Birnin Gwari, where local initiatives have shown results.
He also distanced himself from the recent violent disruption of an opposition transition committee meeting in the state, urging respect for the rule of law and law enforcement agencies.
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“As someone who fought for the rule of law and was detained five times, I will never be part of anything to stop anyone’s political activities,” he said. “Our leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, always told us to respect the police force if we don’t want anarchy. The police are investigating, and we should allow them to do their work.”
Highlighting the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) electoral successes, Sani described the party’s performance as evidence of inclusive governance.
“In Kaduna, APC won 70 percent of the elections. We had never won Chikun and Kajuru before. Only two years ago, the Labour Party won there, but this time, we carried everyone along. We don’t run government on the basis of religion or ethnicity,” he stated.