News
Comment on Elders: Northern Youths calls El-Rufai Insane Hooligan
The Arewa Progressive Youths League has condemned the Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s remarks against the elders of northern Nigeria, saying they are uncomplimentary, callous, unwarranted and insane.
Reacting in statement signed by its leader, Sanusi Ibrahim, the Group recalled how El-Rufai, typical of a hypocritical ingrate, had derogatory many reputable Northern leaders and elders including Sardauna Sir Ahmadu Bello, Premier of northern region and other leaders who toiled and paid with their lives to carve a path for the development of the north.
The Group also described El-Rufai as an indecent, indecorous, erratic and psychophantic individual with a long record of serial breaches of human and persons rights and wondered how such a man would claim pity for the ordinary people.
They cautioned the northern public against losing their guard and falling for the lies and deceptions by Elrufai who now poses as champion of the common man.
The Group issued the caveat in reaction to Governor El-Rufai’s latest outburst in the media, to the point of making blanket condemnation of reputable elders of the North, while purporting to show sympathy for ordinary Nigerian families stressed by the temporary effects of the ongoing economic and financial reforms in the country.
While accusing El-rufai of political sycophantic, crass opportunism, the Group also warned Nigerian commoners to study his antecedent in politics and how he has constantly betrayed all his benefactors in the past.
“We find it ridiculous and insulting to the collective sensibilities of the ordinary everyday Nigerians for El-Rufai, with his despotic and authoritarian tendencies as a political leader with a cruel style of leadership, to have the audacity to pose today as defender of the poor and the vulnerable,” the Group said, warning that he could not be trusted as he is for all intents and purposes, an oppressor of the masses.
“El-Rufai will always be remembered in Abuja for destroying the homes and lives of thousands of poor people when he was Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
“We recall how he hid under the cover of removing illegal structures to pull down houses of the less advantaged when he was FCT Minister, and how the lands were then handed over to the rich and powerful, including El-Rufai, his family members and his cronies at giveaway prices.
“He shamelessly described those who built those structures as “land grabbers” despite the fact that most of them were owned by poor working people who just wanted to have a home or a shop they can call theirs while the real land grabbers are the rich bosses whom El-Rufai and his likes represent.
As Governor of Kaduna state, he commenced demolitions as well, with residents of the houses demolished given just two weeks’ notice, despite the fact that some have lived all their lives in those buildings.
“Since 2015 when he became governor, El-Rufai had behaved like an emperor; dictatorial, tyrannical, overbearing and arrogant, exemplifying all that is wrong with the Fourth Republic democracy.
“Rather than seeking to address the obvious economic, social and security decline in the state, El-Rufai, diabolical as always, went ahead and retrenched more than 70,000 public sector workers and many have not yet received their due payments.
“Kaduna State has turned into a dangerous state in Nigeria to live, work or visit in terms of the regularity of bloodshed, kidnappings and killings by bandits and ethno-religious inspired violence as a result of El-Rufai’s unprecedented, cruel anti-workers’ policy including repeated mass layoffs.
“The general, pervasive uncontrolled insecurity being experienced across the state is therefore, the ’harvest’ or product of the El-Rufai’s anti-labour policies,” the Group said.
They recounted that in 2016 alone, over 13,000 workers labeled ghosts, were dismissed by El-Rufai.
“The following year, another 40,000 public sector workers were retrenched, half of who were teachers after El-Rufai arbitrarily pegged the pass mark for an unpopular competency test at an unprecedented 75 per cent. Many of these teachers did not receive any redundancy money.
“Since then, El-Rufai has been dismissing perhaps as many as another 17,000 workers including 6,000 local government and primary health care workers who have all received their marching orders.
The remaining 11,000 workers from the state ministries have been listed for dismissal on account of having spent 30 years and above in service and/or being on level 14 and above.
“Pensioners who have earned pension for between 5 and 10 years and have ‘refused to die’ are no longer to be paid. The state government mercilessly maintained that their children should take care of them while the governor claimed that these policies are necessary due to declining revenues, which is far from the truth.
“El-Rufai believes the rich and business people have to be handsomely rewarded and incentivised to ‘invest’ in the state and workers have to be paid the lowest possible salaries, beaten into submission and periodically terrorised by mass sacking,” the statement reads.
The Group said El-Rufai has an incurable obsession with lying, which they said has been proved by his own boss, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who described him in Volume 2 of his book-“My Watch” as follows:
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological. Why does he do it? He is brilliant and smart. I grant him that also. Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent and brilliance. At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir el-Rufai.
“He barefacedly lied, which he did to me against his colleagues and so-called friends. I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who was like, in the African setting, his foster father. I shuddered when I heard the story of what he did to his half-brother in the Air Force who is senior to him in age.”
“He is on record as having betrayed Atiku Abubakar who brought him to political consciousness thereby forcing Atiku, who El-Rufai himself credits with bringing him into the Obasanjo administration, to describe him as ‘a liar’ and fetish person.
“Goodluck Jonathan, another former president of Nigeria also recorded El-Rufai as a serial liar and an inconsistent person.
“He also attempted severally to betray President Muhammadu Buhari, the man who made his occupation of the Kaduna Government House possible.
“El-Rufai was also exposed as a pathological liar in page 272 of ‘Power, Politics and Death: A Front-row Account of Nigeria Under the Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’, written by former ThisDay editor and spokesman to President Yar’adua, Mr Segun Adeniyi.
“With such descriptions, no one should be surprised at El-Rufai’s recent desperate attempt to mislead the public and present himself as protector of the same masses he so much despises and dreads with lies about plots to use the ongoing Economic and Financial reforms to service some powerful interests in the Aso Rock Villa.
“It is therefore the highest peak of onsanity for such a man with questionable pedegree to make such sweeping generalization against the respected northern elders, custodians of the northern values and expect to get away with it,” the Group concluded.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The APC Coordinators’ Forum has unanimously declared its total support for Governor Uba Sani’s continuity in office beyond 2027, citing his track record of good governance and impactful leadership within his first two years.
The forum made this declaration on Tuesday during a press briefing in Kaduna, where its Chairman, Mal. Nasiru Shehu (Excellency), highlighted the governor’s achievements.
Addressing Journalists, Shehu emphasized that Governor Uba Sani’s administration has significantly transformed Kaduna State, particularly in rural development, infrastructure, and security, reducing rural-urban migration and improving citizens’ quality of life.
Also, speaking on behalf of the 23 APC Local Government Coordinators, Danatus Adamu outlined some of the governor’s key accomplishments, including:
1. Road Construction – The administration has embarked on the construction of over 700 roads, with 22 roads already completed and commissioned, improving intra-state connectivity and boosting economic activities.
2. Agricultural Support – The government has distributed fertilizers and farming implements to cooperative societies across the state, enhancing agricultural productivity and food security for farmers.
3. Improved Security – Since assuming office, Governor Uba Sani has made remarkable progress in tackling insecurity. Today, farmers can safely return to their fields, and residents now enjoy improved security, with a reduced rate of kidnappings and attacks.
4. Education Reform – Understanding the financial burden on students and parents, the governor reduced tuition fees across all tertiary institutions in Kaduna State by 30%, making education more accessible to all.
5. Religious Harmony and Social Cohesion – His commitment to unity and inclusivity was demonstrated during the Ramadan Iftar, where he brought together people of different religious backgrounds, fostering peace and mutual respect in the state.
The forum also extended its appreciation to Hon. Abubakar Shehu Giwa, the Political Adviser to the Governor, for his dedication and tireless efforts in promoting the APC and the administration’s achievements across the state.
Additionally, the forum acknowledged the Director-General of the APC Campaign Council, Prof. Mohammed Sani Preth (Mamman Zazzau), for his steadfast support and unwavering commitment to the party’s success in Kaduna State.
In light of these achievements, the APC Coordinators’ Forum of Kaduna State formally declared a vote of confidence in Governor Uba Sani’s leadership. The group reaffirmed its full support for his re-election bid in 2027, believing that his continuity in office will further accelerate development in the state.
“Governor Uba Sani has demonstrated exceptional leadership, inclusivity, and a genuine commitment to the welfare of Kaduna residents. We strongly believe that his continued leadership beyond 2027 will bring even greater progress to our dear state,” Mal. Nasiru Shehu stated.
With growing support from political stakeholders and grassroots mobilizers, the APC Coordinators’ Forum vowed to intensify efforts in ensuring that Governor Uba Sani secures a second term, confident in his ability to sustain and expand the developmental strides witnessed under his administration.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has commenced investigation into the death of a female adult suspected to be a fatal train accident along Gwagwa-Idu rail line in Abuja.
Confirming the incident, the FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said the Command was “investigating a fatal train accident that claimed the life of an unidentified woman along the Gwagwa-Idu railway line.
“On March 24, 2025, at about 11:00am, FCT Police responded to a distress call reporting an unconscious female on the railway tracks behind Zeberced Company, Idu. Upon arrival, officers found a lifeless and disfigured female body, believed to have been struck by a train.
“The remains were evacuated to Kubwa General Hospital, where her death was confirmed. Efforts are ongoing to identify her and locate her relatives.”
Meanwhile, the FCT deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations, DCP Isyaku Sharu, has urged residents to exercise caution around railway lines and adhere to safety regulations.
He also called on anyone with useful information to contact the police on any of its emergencies line: 08032003913, 08028940883, 07057337653, or the Complaint Response Unit at 08107314192.
… Promises to follow due process
Insists petitioners failed to provide contact details
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the representatives of the petitioners seeking the racall of the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district from the National Assembly, did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter accompanying their petition to the Commission.
INEC said the provision of contact address and telephone number are provided for in Clause 1(f) of its Regulations and Guidelines.
The commission said the address given was “Okene, Kogi State”, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners, insisting that only the telephone number of “the lead petitioner” is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.
INEC National Commissioner and chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this at the end of the commission’s regular weekly meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on its website, stressing that all petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.
“The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
“The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.
“The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.
“The Commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines.
“The address given is “Okene, Kogi State”, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of “the lead petitioner” is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners,” Olumekun said.
The INEC Chief Spokesperson reiterated that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them.
He said once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in INEC’s regulations, the commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each polling unit in an open process restricted to registered voters that signed the petition only.
“The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“Consequently, if the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the Commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
“In the absence of a definite contact address, the commission is making efforts to use other means to notify the representatives of the petitioners of the situation.
“The commission reassures the public that it will be guided by the legal framework for recall. The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media,” Olumekun added.