Gov Sani fighting El-Rufai to please Tinubu — Ex-PGF DG Lukman

The former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Malam Salihu Lukman, has accused Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State of waging war against his predecessor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, purely to please President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a letter titled “Issues of Politics and Governance in Kaduna: The Truth,” dated June 13, 2024, Lukman expressed his belief that Governor Sani risks losing reelection in the 2027 poll due to his display of ingratitude towards El-Rufai.

The letter was copied to Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Ramalan Yero, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Mal. B. A. Lawal, Hon. Garba Datti, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi, Alh. Yusuf Mairago, Alh. Lawal Samaila Yakawad, Alh. Bashir Abubakar Alhaji, and Mal. Mohammed Sani Dattijo.

Lukman assured that the campaign to ensure the defeat of the APC, the Governor, and President Tinubu would surely gain traction in Kaduna State.

Lukman said there was no way Governor Sani could deny masterminding the decision by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to probe the usage of loans accessed while El-Rufai held sway between 2015 and 2023.

Lukman, who said he is not opposed to the idea of a probe, insisted that El-Rufai’s infrastructural and developmental initiatives far surpassed those of all the governors that have administered Kaduna State so far.

“For the record, I am not opposed to probes. But I am opposed to wildcat, unplanned probes without clear objectives of what we want to achieve. I believe that Mallam has his strengths and weaknesses, and one of his weaknesses is being loyal to his associates,” he said.

“It is sad to see how, within a short period after the exit of Mallam, things have degenerated between all of you. No doubt, Mallam would have to take responsibility for several things, but the fact is that it reflects your poor leadership of the state in the last year.

“Partly because of poor leadership, the narrative is that the Presidency is also covertly pushing you. It is no secret that the Presidency is opposed to Mallam, which is responsible for all the avoidable drama around Mallam’s ministerial nomination. This is most unfortunate.”

Continuing, he noted: “The Executive should have quietly initiated it by appointing a competent forensic auditor, and the report would have been reviewed by the Executive and decisions taken in terms of what is to be done before escalating it to the House of Assembly.

“But from the way things are unfolding, it is all about walking to a predetermined conclusion, which is why, already, the EFCC is now in the loop of the investigation.

“I am honestly worried for you. You are setting a precedent that will hurt you. All I can say is, be careful. Maximum, in the next seven years, you will be out. You must recognize that without Mallam, it would almost have been impossible for you to rise to where you are today. The privilege of being a Governor has an expiry date.

“In your case, if you are lucky, another seven years. But from the way things are unfolding, I believe the default expiry date of your tenure is another three years. Both you and President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have clearly sent out the worrisome signal of being anything but democrats.

“Unfortunately, both President Asiwaju Tinubu and you have alienated yourselves, and you are behaving as autocrats. If left unchecked, whatever has been achieved under this democracy in the last twenty-five years will be destroyed.

“I wish I could spare you. But given that at the end of the day, politics is local, even if you accept to reform yourself but President Asiwaju Tinubu does not embrace reform, you will be collateral damage. Take it from me: the campaign to defeat APC and President Asiwaju Tinubu is just starting, and it will take root in Kaduna State!”