The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Reverend John Joseph Hayab, has accused former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of betraying public trust through divisive policies, mismanagement of conflicts, and misuse of public funds.
Speaking on TVC News Politics Tonight, Hayab alleged that El-Rufai’s tenure deepened Kaduna’s woes, unlike his predecessors Ahmed Makarfi, Namadi Sambo, Patrick Yakowa, and Ramalan Yero, who he said made genuine efforts to promote peace and unity.
He condemned El-Rufai’s recent remarks that he had “no regrets” over his actions in office, calling them “insensitive and heartless” given the mass killings and repeated mass burials endured by Southern Kaduna communities under his watch.
“For him to still say he has no regrets shows he governed without conscience and carried out those actions deliberately,” Hayab said.
The cleric accused El-Rufai of deliberately downplaying Southern Kaduna’s population to advance a political agenda, recalling how the 2006 census results showed the region’s overwhelming numbers despite resistance from the Kaduna Shariah Committee. According to Hayab, Southern Kaduna’s eight LGAs account for over 35% of the state’s population, rising to more than 50% when Kajuru, Chikun, and Kaduna South are included.
He further alleged that El-Rufai’s much-touted urban renewal programme was lopsided, funded with huge loans but concentrated in select areas, leaving Christian communities neglected.
“I once promoted him in 2015, believing in his capacity and exposure, but later discovered he was intolerant and unwilling to listen,” Hayab said, adding that El-Rufai even admitted at one point that his claim about Southern Kaduna’s voting pattern was wrong.
The CAN leader also criticised the ex-governor’s combative style, saying: “El-Rufai does not have grace in speech. He insulted even the North by saying there are no elders. A true elder unites people, not divides them.”
Hayab concluded that El-Rufai’s recent outbursts are borne out of bitterness at the relative peace Kaduna now enjoys compared to his turbulent years in office.
“He is angry because Kaduna is no longer burying people daily as it used to under his administration. That is why he is coming out with statements capable of stirring fresh problems for the state,” Hayab maintained.
