“El-Rufai Reveals Rift with Successor Governor Sani, Cites Conditional Cash Transfers”

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has publicly acknowledged a fallout with his successor, Governor Uba Sani, revealing that the rift stems from financial dealings related to conditional cash transfers from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

This comes after Governor Sani dismissed reports of any disagreement, stating in a TVC interview on Monday that his relationship with El-Rufai remains cordial. He further criticized opposition politicians forming coalitions ahead of the 2027 presidential elections, calling them “power-hungry individuals” who failed to deliver results during their time in office. Sani also expressed strong support for President Tinubu’s leadership, praising him for practicing democracy like no other Nigerian president.

In contrast, El-Rufai took to social media, accusing Sani of sycophancy driven by financial gains from Tinubu’s government. He claimed that the Federal Government had provided Kaduna with over N150bn in reimbursements, interventions, and grants, and criticized Sani’s remarks as motivated by these funds.

El-Rufai urged the people of Kaduna to judge the situation when the time is right, and encouraged Governor Sani to continue defending Tinubu if that was his choice. The escalating feud between the two leaders has been further complicated by corruption allegations leveled against El-Rufai’s administration by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which accused him of mismanaging ₦432bn and leaving the state with significant debt liabilities.