Former political associates and grassroots allies of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have rejected accusations of betrayal over their decision to leave his political camp, insisting that it was the former governor who abandoned the political understanding that once bound them together.
The group, operating under the Kaduna De-Initiative, said its members supported, campaigned for and defended El-Rufai while helping to build political structures across Kaduna State.
However, they said years of political disagreements, perceived marginalisation and a breakdown in mutual trust eventually forced them to chart a different political course.
The position was signed by former Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mukthar Isa Hazo, and former Kaduna State SDP chairman and four-time House of Assembly member for Ungwan Sanusi Constituency, Nasiru Abdullahi Maikano.
Other prominent figures associated with the realignment include former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ja’afaru Sani; former Education Commissioner, Shehu Usman Makarfi; former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Finance and two-time Chief of Staff to El-Rufai, Bashir Saidu; and former commissioner and senator, Abdu Kwari.
The former allies said they were not “a handful of disgruntled individuals looking for political relevance”, stressing that their members had contested elections, mobilised communities and built political relationships across Kaduna State.
“We did not abandon El-Rufai; rather, we believe El-Rufai abandoned the political understanding that had bound us together,” they said.
According to the group, cracks in the relationship began to emerge after El-Rufai’s re-election in 2019, when some former associates allegedly felt increasingly excluded from decision-making while members of his family were perceived to be gaining greater influence in government affairs.
They said their concern was not about El-Rufai working with family members or trusted associates, but what they described as the growing dominance of family interests and the weakening of the wider political structure that had supported his administration.
The group said the relationship became more strained after El-Rufai left office, with the decisive disagreement emerging around the African Democratic Congress governorship primary.
It claimed that Ja’afaru Sani was regarded by members of their political camp as a preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election, but that El-Rufai instead supported Isa Ashiru, his former political rival.
Ashiru subsequently emerged as the ADC candidate, while Sani rejected the outcome and alleged irregularities.
The former associates also made allegations concerning El-Rufai’s support for Ashiru and an alleged plan to retain political influence in a possible Ashiru administration. They claimed that two of El-Rufai’s wives could receive appointments if the ADC won the 2027 election.
However, the group acknowledged that the allegation had not been independently established by a court or formally documented in a public agreement.
The former allies also rejected the argument that El-Rufai alone built the political structures responsible for electoral victories in Kaduna, saying political networks involving CPC and PDP politicians, grassroots organisers and former elected officials existed before his emergence as the state’s dominant political figure.
They maintained that political loyalty should not be treated as a permanent obligation, arguing that El-Rufai had the right to make political choices based on changing circumstances and that his former associates had the same right.
The group said its decision was not motivated by hatred or revenge but by the need to take responsibility for its political future and that of its supporters.
It disclosed that Kaduna De-Initiative had accepted Governor Uba Sani’s reconciliation initiative and returned to the All Progressives Congress.
The group said the realignment would involve its political structures, networks and grassroots supporters across the state, with members pledging to focus on security, education, infrastructure, employment, economic opportunities and peaceful coexistence.
The former allies said they were not interested in turning their disagreements with El-Rufai into a personal confrontation, but insisted that they would not apologise for exercising their political independence.
“We are adults, and we have made our decision,” they said.
About the Author
