El-Rufai knocks Uba Sani for defending Tinubu, says he got N150b from the president

Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, has lambasted his successor, Uba Sani, for defending President Bola Tinubu, alleging that he has received N150 billion from the federal government.

Recently, El-Rufai at a forum attended by prominent opposition leaders criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, alleging that he is actively working to weaken opposition parties and threatening the country’s democratic system.

El-Rufai, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), criticised the party’s governance style, describing it as a “national emergency.” He called for a coalition of opposition parties to rescue power from the APC in 2027.

Speaking on TV Continental (TVC) on Monday, Sani, the incumbent Kaduna governor, said that El-Rufai’s allegations against Tinubu are not correct.

Defending Tinubu, the governor said “no president in the history of Nigeria has really practiced democracy” like the incumbent.

He added that some politicians calling for a coalition against Tinubu were in government less than two years ago.

“Most of these politicians that came out and say they are coming as coalition, they are politicians that were in government only less than two years ago. What did they do when they were in government? They were only fighting for power, not because they could do anything better,” Sani said.

Reacting to a video of Sani’s interview posted on X, El-Rufai said he used to wonder why the governor “embarrassingly and sycophantically rambling” everyday until he confirmed that the federal government has selectively given Kaduna N150 billion under the new administration.

“Every day I see this governor embarrassingly and sycophantically rambling, I used to wonder why? However, confirming that Federal Government ‘reimbursements, interventions and grants’ in excess of N150bn have been given selectively to Kaduna by Tinubu, in the last 18 months, now explains everything.

“By all means, defend Asiwaju for the conditional cash transfer. Asiwaju has earned it, coming from you. The people of Kaduna State will judge at the right time and place. Have a nice day,” El-Rufai said, reacting to Sani’s interview on his X account on Tuesday.

El-Rufai, who worked vehemently for Tinubu’s emergence, has been throwing jibes at the presidency and the ruling party since he was denied a ministerial seat in the federal cabinet.

The ex-governor recently shared an article on his X account, accusing Tinubu of nepotism in favour of his Yoruba kinsmen. His actions signal his departure from the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.