El-Rufai Alleges FG ‘Spoonfeeding’ Bandits, Accuses Kaduna Gov of Paying ₦1bn Ransom
Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Federal Government of “spoonfeeding” bandits in the name of persuading them to abandon their criminal activities, instead of declaring a total war against them.
Speaking on Sunday Politics with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels Television, El-Rufai claimed that money was being given to bandits as part of a state-backed non-kinetic policy under the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
He further alleged that Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sanni, had paid bandits ₦1 billion, yet attacks and killings of innocent residents continued unabated in the state. He challenged the governor to publicly deny the allegation, stressing that he would not bow to blackmail from critics, especially from Southern Kaduna, who once labelled him a fundamentalist.
El-Rufai noted that Southern Kaduna, predominantly populated by Christians, makes up less than 30% of the state’s population, yet, according to him, its people demand a disproportionate share of political appointments.
The former FCT Minister also reaffirmed that he was part of the team that helped President Bola Tinubu win the 2023 election but fell out with the Presidency when he began to constructively criticise the administration for failing to deliver on campaign promises.
“I am not a thief, neither are those who worked with me. We never bribed anyone,” El-Rufai declared, while commending his former team and lamenting that those he supported had now turned against him.
On his political ambition, he clarified that he has no interest in contesting as vice-presidential candidate in 2027, predicting that President Tinubu would struggle to secure a second term and might not even make it to a run-off election due to what he described as “woeful performance.”
He also disclosed that he once had a plan to ensure nationwide stable electricity supply by 2030, which he had documented and submitted to the government, though he was unsure if it was being implemented.
