by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Youth Wing of Southern Kaduna People’s Union (YW-SOKAPU) has asserted that, former governor of Kaduna State, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, had expected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to marginalize Christians across Nigeria on assumption of office, under Muslim-Muslim ticket, in consistency with his discriminatory treatment of Christians in Southern Kaduna.
These revelations were made in a statement issued Wednesday evening by YW-SOKAPU and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Solomon Simon.
The statement reads: “True to his divisive mindset, and consistent with his discriminatory treatment of Christians in Southern Kaduna, Rufai expected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to marginalize Christians across Nigeria.
“To his utmost disappointment, the reverse has been the case. Southern Kaduna, today, stands as one of the major beneficiaries of the Tinubu administration, with landmark projects such as the University of Applied Sciences, a Federal Medical Centre, and several other development initiatives.
“This progress is what has fueled the bitterness behind El-Rufai’s latest tirade. His anger is not about truth or justice – it is simply the frustration of a man whose narrative has been defeated by the reality of Southern Kaduna’s growing relevance in the Nigerian project,” they stated.
The union categorically stated that people of Southern Kaduna are known for their resilience, hospitality, and commitment to nation building, adding “No amount of reckless speech can erase our history of sacrifice, patriotism, and development.”
The Youth Wing added that, “It is disappointing that instead of promoting harmony and mutual respect, el-Rufai chose the path of division and prejudice. Leadership and public engagement demand responsibility; words carry weight and must be used to heal, not to wound; to unite, not to divide.
“We, therefore, call on el-Rufai to retract his offensive statements and tender an unreserved apology to the people of Southern Kaduna. Going forward, we urge all leaders, past and present, to weigh their words carefully and act in ways that foster peace, unity, and mutual respect among all Nigerians.
“The people of Southern Kaduna will not be distracted by this attempt to cast them in a negative light. We remain focused on building bridges of understanding and contributing positively to the development of our society.
“To Nasir el-Rufai, we say this: your words may stir controversy but they cannot hide the truth. Kaduna State belongs to all its citizens equally – Christians and Muslims, Hausa and non-Hausa alike,” it stated.
Earlier, the Youth Wing alleged that the former governor recently commented on a national television interview, and made disparaging remarks about the good people of Southern Kaduna Senatorial District.
According them, “Such utterances were not only unfortunate, but also a deliberate attempt to misrepresent and demean an entire people, who have made immense contributions to the peace, progress, and unity of our state and nation.”
“El-Rufai,” they stated, “made infamous comments that Southern Kaduna consists of 8 local governments, are violent people with sense of entitlement, less than 25% of the population, are liken to Alzazagi group and use PDP to rig elections as against Northern Kaduna, amongst others.”
They continue that, “El-Rufai commented that, ‘SK dominated Civil Service (hence, the need for massive sacking), exhibited nonsense behaviour and he didn’t take it and he doesn’t care about what anybody thinks, some people in SK that he empowered know him and believe in him and he is ok with that, and doesn’t care what his enemies (SK) think.”
According to the youths, “If any sane mind or morally-upright elite were to speak negatively about our people, it would indeed be a matter of concern. But when a man whose entire life is built on half-truths and deception spews yet another cocktail of lies, it should not surprise anyone.
“What is worrisome, however, is that some unsuspecting Nigerians may take his words at face value. This is why we feel obliged to set the record straight, not because his falsehoods carry weight, but for the sake of the gullible, who may not understand him too well and, above all, to defend the dignity of our people.
“Furthermore, following the 2023 general elections, a leaked video exposed el-Rufai boasting about being an architect of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“In that same recording, he bragged that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had been silenced, and went on to predict that another Muslim-Muslim arrangement would succeed the Tinubu administration,” the youths stated.