…By Dorcas Funmi for TDPel Media. The Southern Kaduna People’s Union in the Diaspora (SOKAD-USA) has raised allegations against Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, regarding disturbing actions that occurred two weeks before his tenure ended.
Uba Sani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, won the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kaduna and succeeded El-Rufai as the new governor.
SOKAD-USA has acknowledged Sani’s emergence but urged him to prioritize fairness and good governance, setting a different tone from his predecessor.
Unveiling El-Rufai’s Final Actions in Office
SOKAD-USA deemed it necessary to inform Nigerians and the world about El-Rufai’s last two weeks in office.
The union recounted El-Rufai’s election as governor of Kaduna State in 2015.
However, over the course of his eight-year tenure, the people of Southern Kaduna allegedly faced insults, demeaning treatment, castigation, and unprovoked violence unprecedented in the area’s history since Nigeria’s formation as a modern state.
State-Supported Persecution and Violence
According to SOKAD-USA, rogue elements, aided and abetted by the state’s instruments of power, launched a campaign to exterminate the people of Southern Kaduna, targeting core communities.
Appeals for peaceful coexistence, fairness, and justice allegedly fell on deaf ears, as the agents of destruction and terrorism roamed freely.
Just as it seemed that Southern Kaduna had weathered the storm, El-Rufai’s final two weeks in office witnessed what the union described as an unbridled unleashing of barbarism and state terrorism under the guise of exercising legitimate governmental powers.
Depositions and Demolitions in Southern Kaduna
SOKAD-USA highlighted specific incidents during El-Rufai’s last days in power, including the demotion and subsequent deposition of His Royal Highness the Etum Numana (General Aliyu Iliyah Yammah, retired) and the removal of the paramount ruler of the Piriga Chiefdom, His Highness Jonathan Paragua Zamuna.
Additionally, three district heads in the Arak Chiefdom (Aban, Abujan Mada, and Anjil) were sacked, homes, businesses, and churches were demolished in the Gbayi Villas community, and the Atyap Community Development Association was proscribed.
Seeking Justice and Reinstatement under New Leadership
SOKAD-USA expressed confidence that the resilient people of Southern Kaduna will continue to thrive despite these challenges, relying on divine blessings.
The union called for the reinstatement of the two deposed monarchs and three district heads by the new Governor, Uba Sani, emphasizing the need to govern with fairness and justice.
SOKAD-USA appealed to Governor Sani to transcend religious and ethnic considerations and lead with integrity.
The statement concluded by placing trust in a righteous God to fight for and avenge the grievances of the wronged, while remaining vigilant.