Kaduna was overwhelmed by banditry, insurgency, and ethnic-religious crises before 2023
Governor Sani says two years under his leadership have seen zero ethno-religious conflict
Attributes peace and development to inclusivity, fairness, and non-discriminatory governance
Governor Uba Sani has stated that Kaduna State was completely overtaken by violence and division before he assumed office, pointing to the deep-rooted banditry, insurgency, and ethno-religious conflict that plagued the state during the tenure of his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Speaking on Thursday night during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Sani declared that his administration had effectively tackled these problems through a deliberate policy of inclusiveness and equity, which, he said, has led to two years of uninterrupted peace across all communities in the state
“When I came to Kaduna, it was completely taken over by issues of banditry, insurgency, and ethnic-religious crises. Today, in the last two years, we have not experienced a single ethnic-religious crisis in Kaduna State,” Sani said.
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He emphasised that resolving ethnic and religious unrest was a function of sub-national governance, not a duty to be delegated to the presidency.
“That is not the role of the President; it is the role of the sub-national government to do that,” he stressed.
He noted that Kaduna is a highly diverse state, with about 60 ethnic groups, and insisted that his leadership prioritised justice, equity, and fairness by ensuring every region received attention, regardless of religion, tribe, or political background.
According to him, “Today in Kaduna, we have not had any farmers-herders crisis. I solved the problem through inclusivity. President Tinubu doesn’t have to come to the North to tell you how to run your own state.”
Reflecting on his 2023 victory, the governor acknowledged that he was largely elected by voters from the Northern part of the state but said that his administration does not engage in favouritism.
“When you go to Kaduna and see the roads we are constructing, we do not discriminate,” he said.
Governor Sani’s remarks are being seen as a veiled critique of El-Rufai’s legacy, especially as controversies continue to trail the former governor’s handling of insecurity and social division in Kaduna.
