The Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC) has issued a formal demand for a judicial investigation into former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai's administration, accusing him of orchestrating systematic intimidation and injustice against Southern Kaduna communities.
During a press conference titled "Dispelling Lies and Hate Against a People," the Council refuted claims made by El-Rufai's former media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, that certain chiefdoms had voluntarily requested changes to their traditional identities.
SKLC Secretary Timothy B. Gandu stated that these assertions were misleading and contradicted by official state documents. According to Gandu, the El-Rufai government established a 13-member committee in 2017 to review and propose new names for chiefdoms, shifting emphasis from ethnic to geographical identities—a move initiated by the government rather than traditional leaders.
Disputed Claims of Community Consent
The Council presented evidence that the renaming initiative came from government leadership, not from grassroots requests. They alleged that of the 25 affected chiefdoms, 17 actively rejected the changes, and seven clarified they had never made such requests.
"The claim that traditional institutions across the state independently requested name changes is false. For instance, in Lere LGA with nine ethnic groups, only one made such a request. Similarly, in Kauru and Kagarko LGAs, only isolated requests were made," Gandu explained.
Southern Kaduna, home to over 56 ethnic groups across 12 local government areas, could not have unanimously sought such changes, the Council argued.
Allegations of Divisive Governance
The SKLC accused El-Rufai of deliberately fueling religious and ethnic divisions during his tenure. They referenced a widely circulated video in which the former governor reportedly admitted to misleading party members from Southern Kaduna and pushing for a religiously skewed political structure from 2019 onward.
Additional allegations against El-Rufai's administration included:
Creating emirates in multi-ethnic communities under the pretext of reform
Imposing name changes and removing traditional rulers
Unexplained killings of key community leaders
Drastically reducing districts from 390 to 77, weakening local leadership structures
Demoting Southern Kaduna chiefs under the 2021 Traditional Institution Law
Labeling regional youths as criminals
Arbitrarily shutting down local tertiary institutions
Implementing unfair retrenchment and civil service bias
Failing to establish IDP camps despite widespread violence and displacement
Making unlawful boundary adjustments affecting local chiefdoms
Expanding the Kachia Grazing Reserve without community input
Arresting and dethroning community leaders
The Council claimed these actions were part of a calculated strategy to alter Southern Kaduna's demographic balance and diminish its political relevance.
Calls for Action
The SKLC urged President Bola Tinubu to authorize a comprehensive investigation into El-Rufai's conduct in office, ban him from holding public office for alleged constitutional violations, direct security agencies to investigate those reportedly paid to suppress violence, and examine actions that may qualify as crimes against humanity.
Additionally, they called on current Governor Uba Sani to:
Repeal the 2021 Traditional Institution Law
Restore traditional institutions to their pre-El-Rufai status
Reassess laws and policies deemed exclusive or discriminatory
Support reconciliation and development initiatives in the region
The situation highlights ongoing tensions in Kaduna State's governance and the complex interplay of ethnic, religious, and political factors that continue to shape the region's development trajectory.
Stay updated with the latest news by following BenriNews on our social media platforms:
