Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani has aimed a dig at Governor Uba Sani, his successor.
El-Rufai, who was blocked from becoming a minister in 2023 by his opponents within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has recently emerged as a vocal critic of the party and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
At a program in Abuja last week, El-Rufai expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling party and the current government, stating that many things were not right.
However, in an interview on TVC, Governor Uba Sani disagreed with his predecessor, questioning what critics of the president had achieved during their own time in power.
Sani argued that no president in Nigeria’s history has practiced democracy as effectively as Tinubu. He said, “Most of these politicians who claim to form a coalition were in government less than two years ago. What did they achieve while in office? They were only fighting for power, not because they could do anything better. No president in the history of Nigeria has truly practiced democracy like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
In response, El-Rufai took to his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday with a post titled Kaduna Update, criticizing Sani for what he described as “embarrassingly and sycophantically rambling” on a daily basis.
El-Rufai wrote, “I used to wonder why. However, the confirmation that the Federal Government has provided over N150 billion in reimbursements, interventions, and grants selectively to Kaduna State under Tinubu’s administration in the last 18 months 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. – #ConcernedKadunaCitizen.”
In another post, El-Rufai quoted former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who once said, “In a developing nation, where people struggle to put food on the table, go to school, access basic healthcare, and eke out an existence rather than build a career, the delivery of social services can be the difference between life and death—or at least the difference between a life with hope and one without it. Citizens want the problems affecting their lives solved or at least mitigated. They want a higher standard of living, better quality of life, improved healthcare, education, and security.”
The relationship between Sani and El-Rufai has reportedly soured since the former assumed office as governor. When asked about the alleged rift during the interview, Sani denied any issues, stating that their relationship remains cordial.
“I can tell you there’s no problem between me and my predecessor. Our relationship is very cordial, and there’s nothing wrong with it. What is more important is moving our state forward,” Sani said.

Nominations Open For Legal Leaders Awards 2025, Celebrating Excellence In Istanbul ______________________________________________________________________
