Rev. Hayab: El-rufai governed Kaduna without conscience, abandoned Christian communities for eight years
By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
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 governance, reckless use of loans, and poor handling of conflicts that left the state in grief.
Hayab, who spoke as a guest on TVC News Politics Tonight, said El-Rufai’s administration stood in sharp contrast to those of former governors Ahmed Makarfi, Namadi Sambo, Patrick Yakowa, and Ramalan Yero, whom he credited with pursuing unity and peace.
The cleric faulted El-Rufai’s recent claim that he had no regrets over his actions in office, describing such a remark as “insensitive and heartless.” He noted that under the former governor’s watch, Southern Kaduna communities suffered mass killings that forced residents to bury 20, 30, or even 40 people at once.
“For him to still say he has no regrets shows he governed without conscience and carried out those actions deliberately,” Hayab stressed.
He further accused El-Rufai of deliberately attempting to downplay the population strength of Southern Kaduna, insisting that such a narrative was designed to justify the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket in the state.
Citing the 2006 census, Hayab recalled that the population of the region was so overwhelming that the Kaduna Shariah Committee initially threatened to challenge the figures in court before accepting them. According to him, the eight local government areas of Southern Kaduna account for over 35 percent of the state’s population, a figure that rises to more than 50 percent when Kajuru, Chikun, and Kaduna South are included.
On infrastructure, the CAN leader condemned El-Rufai’s urban renewal programme, alleging that it was executed with massive loans but restricted to selected areas. “He collected huge loans to develop one region, leaving Christian communities in Kaduna metropolis abandoned. Then he turned around to say he had no regrets. That is not the mark of a leader with conscience,” Hayab said.
The cleric also revealed that he once supported El-Rufai in 2015, believing in his capacity and exposure, but was later disappointed by what he described as intolerance and unwillingness to listen. He recalled confronting the former governor several times, including over his claims that Southern Kaduna did not vote for him, which El-Rufai eventually apologized for.
“El-Rufai does not have grace in speech. He lacked maturity as a leader and even insulted the North by saying there are no elders. A true elder unites people, not divides them,” he stated.
Hayab concluded that El-Rufai’s recent outbursts were borne out of bitterness over the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Kaduna, which he contrasted with the hostility and bloodshed that characterized the former governor’s tenure.
“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.
