Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has strongly criticized his successor, Uba Sani, accusing him of sycophancy and trying to gain favor with President Bola Tinubu for personal benefit.
El-Rufai’s comments came after Sani expressed surprise during a TVC News interview on Monday at the growing criticism of Tinubu’s administration from some founding members of the All Progressives Congress.
In a response posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, El-Rufai claimed that Sani’s consistent support for Tinubu was tied to over N150 billion in federal reimbursements received by Kaduna State over the past 18 months.
El-Rufai wrote, “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.”
He added, “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.”
In the interview, Sani had criticized some APC members for publicly opposing Tinubu’s policies, calling their actions “unfortunate” and “undemocratic.”
He expressed surprise at the coalition of politicians making such remarks, with some even urging people to oppose the government in ways he considered undemocratic.
Sani challenged the critics of Tinubu, suggesting that if they believed they had enough support, they should wait until the 2027 elections to try to unseat the president. “Any politician who feels he is popular or can defeat Bola Ahmed Tinubu or the APC should work hard and present themselves in the next election,” Sani said.
