Southern Kaduna Reacts After El-Rufai’s Bold Statement On Christian Population

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has responded to allegations of bias against Southern Kaduna residents and claims that he is a religious fundamentalist, emphasizing his commitment to fair and non-discriminatory governance.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, El-Rufai addressed perceptions that he harbors animosity toward Southern Kaduna people. He stated that while people are entitled to their opinions, he does not tolerate nonsense and treats governance as a serious responsibility.

El-Rufai stressed that he dealt firmly with individuals who felt entitled to special treatment, including some from Southern Kaduna. On accusations of being a fundamentalist, he said those opinions do not matter to him because the critics do not truly know him.

He noted that he is comfortable with who he is and that those who worked with him—including many from Southern Kaduna—can attest that the allegations are untrue.

Regarding government spending, El-Rufai highlighted that he stopped funding pilgrimages and other wasteful expenditures. He also ended the practice of providing monthly financial support to certain Southern Kaduna Christian leaders for medical check-ups.

On the representation of Christians in Kaduna State, he pointed out that Christians make up less than 30% of the population and therefore should not expect 50% of government positions. Southern Kaduna, he added, accounts for over 60% of the civil service, making claims of marginalization baseless.

El-Rufai said, “They can think what they want. I don’t tolerate nonsense. Governance is not a joke. When you are leading 10 million people, you must not discriminate between A and B. Nobody can claim that because he’s a Christian, the law doesn’t apply to him. Some people in Southern Kaduna felt entitled to behave in certain ways, and I didn’t take it. I dealt with them.”

He continued, “Just as I dealt with the IMN, El-Zakzaky’s followers, who thought they could act with impunity, I treated everyone equally. They are Muslims, like me, but I didn’t tolerate their nonsense. So, how can those who think I’m a fundamentalist justify that? I don’t care. Those who think this have never met me.”

El-Rufai concluded by reaffirming his stance, “My enemies hate me vehemently because I don’t care what they think. I’m comfortable with who I am. Those who worked closely with me, including many from Southern Kaduna, know the accusations are false. Some Christian leaders who used to receive $20,000 monthly for medical check-ups are no longer getting such funds because I stopped it.”