A group of former political associates and grassroots allies of Nasir El-Rufai, the ex-governor of Kaduna State, have denied allegations of betrayal and stated that it was El-Rufai who abandoned their political understanding. The group, known as Kaduna De-Initiative, claimed that they supported, campaigned for, and defended El-Rufai while helping build political structures across the state. However, their relationship became strained due to alleged marginalization, disagreements, and loss of mutual trust.
The Kaduna De-Initiative group, led by Mukhtar Isa Hazo, a former Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, and Nasiru Abdullahi Maikano, a former Kaduna State Social Democratic Party chairman, announced its return to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This decision was made following Governor Uba Sani's reconciliation initiative. The group emphasized that their realignment was based on the need to take responsibility for their political future and that of their supporters.
The group rejected the description of its members as disgruntled politicians seeking relevance, stating that they have contested elections, won and lost, mobilized communities, and built political relationships across Kaduna State's 23 local government areas. They declared that they did not abandon El-Rufai but rather believed that El-Rufai abandoned the political understanding that had bound them together.
According to the group, the beginning of their differences with El-Rufai dates back to his second term as governor. They alleged that some of his former political associates increasingly felt excluded from decision-making after his re-election in 2019. The group also claimed that members of El-Rufai's family gradually assumed greater influence in government affairs, which weakened the wider political structure that had supported the administration.
The Kaduna De-Initiative group identified the politics surrounding the 2027 governorship contest on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the final rupture. They alleged that El-Rufai backed his former political rival, Isa Ashiru, during the ADC governorship primary, instead of supporting Ja'afaru Sani, who was regarded as the preferred successor by the group. Ashiru emerged as the ADC candidate with 86,113 votes against Sani's 29,580 votes.
The group argued that political loyalty cannot be treated as a permanent debt, stating that El-Rufai had the right to make political choices, and they also have the right to make theirs. They rejected the suggestion that El-Rufai single-handedly created the political structures that produced his electoral victories in Kaduna, citing examples of politicians and grassroots organizers who were involved in the political structure before El-Rufai's emergence.
The former allies said their latest realignment was not motivated by hatred or revenge but about taking responsibility for their political future and the future of those who have followed them. They have accepted Governor Uba Sani's reconciliation initiative and returned to the APC, adding that their political structures and grassroots supporters across the state would be part of the realignment.
Key points
- El-Rufai's former allies deny betrayal allegations, citing El-Rufai's alleged abandonment of their political understanding.
- The group realigns with the APC following Governor Uba Sani's reconciliation initiative.
- The Kaduna De-Initiative group includes notable figures such as Mukhtar Isa Hazo, Nasiru Abdullahi Maikano, Ja'afaru Sani, and Bashir Saidu.
