By IDNN Politics Desk
Kaduna -Former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Kaduna State government of sponsoring both banditry and political violence, sparking an escalating row that has gripped the national political stage.
El-Rufai, speaking on Channels Television, alleged that thugs who invaded the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition meeting in Kaduna were “government-sponsored.” He said security operatives provided cover for the attackers, who stormed the venue with cutlasses, clubs, and stones, injuring participants and destroying property.
“It is very stupid for anyone to think I would invite thugs to invade an event of my party. The police knew what happened. Those thugs were government-sponsored,” El-Rufai charged, vowing to submit evidence to the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police.
The former governor linked the incident to a wider security crisis, accusing state and federal officials of paying and feeding bandits in the name of a “non-kinetic” strategy. He argued that such policies empower criminals rather than eliminate them.
“What I will not do is pay bandits. Non-kinetic is nonsense. We are empowering bandits. That is what this government has done. The only repentant bandit is a dead one,” he declared.
Citing reports by SBM Intelligence, El-Rufai claimed that insecurity in Kaduna, Zamfara, and Katsina states has worsened, alleging that governments are “buying the media” to suppress critical coverage.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna from 2015 to 2023, defended his record of creating a Ministry of Internal Security but insisted he never compensated armed groups. He criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for poor governance and warned that the ruling party’s grip on institutions would not save it from defeat in 2027.
“Tinubu will be defeated; he does not have the pathway to win. I have done the arithmetic. He has not lost an election before, but let us wait and see,” he predicted.
On politics, El-Rufai reaffirmed his membership of the ADC, alongside former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, stressing that both obtained waivers to remain in their original parties until the conclusion of by-elections. He also defended his support for the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of 2023 as an “electoral strategy, not a religious one.”
He denied a personal rift with his successor, Senator Uba Sani, but admitted they are not friends, while noting that corruption allegations are already before the courts.
Despite widespread criticism, El-Rufai dismissed claims of extremism, saying, “Governance is not a joke. I don’t care what critics think. Those who work with me know me.”
The fiery exchange underscores a deepening political rift in Kaduna and sets the stage for broader battles ahead of 2027.
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