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There is disquiet among Kaduna State government officials over the reported resignation of Governor Uba Sani’s aides who are alleged to be in consonance with former governor and now opposition leader, Nasir El-Rufai.
One of the state officials told SaharaReporters that Governor Sani’s strategy to flush out “double-faced officials” triggered the wave of resignations.
He noted that the state government had for long alleged a “spy network” by former governor Nasir El-Rufai to monitor the current administration in the state.
“At least seven appointees — once assumed to be loyal to Uba Sani — have hurriedly but quietly bowed out in recent weeks,” he noted.
“The state government believes the resignations are a cleansing of “El-Rufai’s eyes and ears” from the corridors of power.”
“The purge is not limited to the Government House. Within the Kaduna APC, a quiet exposure of figures who are not “loyal” is underway. The development is to ensure party leaders block El-Rufai’s manoeuvres ahead of 2027,” he added.
He claimed that the exit of the “moles” had tightened Governor Sani’s grip.
“This purge is to secure both the government’s focus and the APC’s unity in Kaduna,” he noted. “This is pest control — and it’s overdue.”
The Kaduna State government had earlier issued a warning to El-Rufai over what it described as his deliberate attempts to incite violence and plunge the state back into crisis.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Suleiman Shuaibu, the government accused El-Rufai of plotting to destabilise Kaduna through “overt provocation and covert manipulation” after “his political surrogates were roundly defeated in the August 16 by-elections”.
“This Government will not fold its arms and allow a discredited former leader, who left the state in ruins, to ignite chaos and plunge the state into another era of ethno-religious tension, insecurity, and economic stagnation,” the statement read.
The commissioner alleged that El-Rufai convened an “illegal and chaotic” political meeting on August 30, which descended into violence, including gunshots that endangered citizens.
He added that the former governor falsely accused the government of sponsoring thugs to disrupt the gathering.
The government also denied El-Rufai’s claims that federal and state authorities were bribing bandits to achieve peace.
“These are calculated, malicious lies designed to undermine security efforts, incite public anger, and legitimise criminality. They insult the sacrifices of our armed forces and the intelligence community,” the statement said, stressing that the Office of the National Security Adviser had already dismissed El-Rufai’s claims.
