President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday appeared to take a jab at former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, crediting the state’s current administration under Governor Uba Sani for transforming what he described as a once “toxic” and “uncontrollable” environment.
President Tinubu was in Kaduna to commission a number of infrastructure projects, including the state’s newly completed 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, located at Millennium Square. The ultramodern health facility includes nine medical wings with departments for maternal and child health, radiology and imaging, intensive care, and special care units.
The hospital complex also received federal approval from the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority to house a cancer treatment centre and nuclear medicine facility.
Speaking during the event, the President said, “Governor Uba Sani has performed wonders and changed the environment from a previous toxic, uncontrollable environment to a state of life, progress, and development. I say thank you, my comrade. Thank you very much.”
The remark, widely interpreted as a direct reference to El-Rufai’s tenure, comes amid ongoing political tension between the two former allies.
El-Rufai’s time as governor (2015–2023) was marked by controversies, especially his handling of the persistent ethno-religious violence in Southern Kaduna. He was frequently accused of bias and insensitivity in dealing with the crises, with critics claiming he downplayed the scale of the killings and unrest. His governance style also drew public backlash, notably in 2019 when he warned that any foreigner who interfered in Nigeria’s elections would “go back in body bags.”
The ceremony drew a crowd of political and traditional dignitaries. Among those in attendance were Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, and the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli.
Also present were several state governors, including Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara).
Expectedly absent, however, was former Governor El-Rufai, who on March 10, 2025, defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Announcing his move to the SDP, he declared his intention to “engage and persuade other opposition leaders and parties… under a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections and by-elections.”
Since then, the former governor has been in active talks with major opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, in a bid to block Tinubu’s path to re-election in 2027.
The rift between Tinubu and El-Rufai appeared to deepen following the controversial denial of a ministerial appointment to the former Kaduna governor in August 2023. Though initially nominated by the President and screened by the Senate, El-Rufai—alongside two other nominees—was not confirmed due to what the Senate described as unresolved “security clearance” issues.
Sources pointed to a Department of State Services (DSS) security report which allegedly flagged El-Rufai for previous inflammatory remarks related to religion and ethnicity. However, El-Rufai has since refuted the existence of any such report, asserting instead that it was Tinubu himself who withdrew support for the appointment.
