Mahdi Shehu Claims El-Rufai Dismissed Southern Kaduna Concerns, Says Uba Sani Is More Inclusive

Kaduna-based public analyst and human rights activist, Dr. Mahdi Shehu, has drawn a sharp comparison between former Governor Nasir El-Rufai and incumbent Governor Uba Sani, describing the current administration as more inclusive and unifying.

Speaking during an interview with Invicta FM, monitored in Kaduna, Shehu said if anyone wants to assess Governor Uba Sani's performance, they should simply compare him with his predecessor.

"Just compare him with Nasiru. That's all. If you want to see whether he is doing well or not, just compare him with Nasiru. Simple," Shehu said.

He alleged that the previous administration deepened religious and ethnic divides in the state, particularly in its handling of Southern Kaduna.

Recounting an incident he claimed to have witnessed before the 2019 governorship election, Shehu said he was waiting at El-Rufai's reception when he overheard a conversation inside the former governor's office.

"In terms of inclusivity, I swear to Almighty Allah. I was waiting at Nasiru's reception, just before the elections in 2019, the second election. And inside the room was Samuel Aruwan, Nasiru's elder brother, Nasiru's friend and one other lady. The door was opened and his brother was saying, why don't you find a common ground and understanding with the people of Southern Kaduna in the area of picking a running mate?" Shehu narrated.

"And Nasiru's answer was, and I can still recall it. He said, 'Even if I picked the Pope as my running mate, they would never like me. I don't like them.' I swear to Almighty Allah, I heard this. The door was open," he claimed.

Shehu contrasted that alleged disposition with what he described as Governor Uba Sani's approach to governance.

According to him, Uba Sani is friendlier, easy-going and more receptive to criticism.

"Uba Sani doesn't express such hate on people. He is friendlier, easy-going. He may have endless shortcomings but as a leader, we are not looking for an angel. We are looking for somebody who you can simply call, Mr. Governor, what you have done the other day is wrong, please correct it, and in the next 2, 3, 4, 5 days you see him correcting it," he said.

"We see him as somebody who is taking people along across religion, across tribe, across culture," he added.

Shehu maintained that leadership should accommodate human error and correction, but not what he described as deliberate exclusion of a group based on belief and culture, in reference to the Muslim-Muslim ticket controversy that trailed the 2019 election in Kaduna.