The Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC) has rejected claims made by Muyiwa Adekeye, Media Adviser to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, regarding the creation of chiefdoms and alteration of nomenclature in Southern Kaduna.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, June 11, 2024, at Epitome Hotel, the SKLC described Adekeye’s claims as false and misleading, stating that it was the El-Rufai government that established a 13-member committee to review the existing chieftaincy system in Kaduna State in 2017.
The council alleged that El-Rufai’s actions were aimed at balkanizing Southern Kaduna and promoting a Muslim-Muslim ticket in governance. They cited El-Rufai’s admission of pitching Christians against Muslims and one ethnic group against another as evidence of his devious and manipulative tendencies.
The SKLC listed several grievances against El-Rufai’s administration, including the arbitrary creation of emirates, change in nomenclature, deposition of chiefs, and profiling of Southern Kaduna youths as criminals. They demanded that El-Rufai face a judicial inquiry for his actions and be banned for life from politics.
The council also called on the current Kaduna State government to repeal the Kaduna State Traditional Institution Law, 2021, and review policies that are non-inclusive. They appreciated the efforts of the current governor, Sen. Uba Sani, towards creating a more inclusive government and urged him to achieve more in transforming the state.
The SKLC concluded by expressing gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his inclusive governance, which they believe has begun to benefit Southern Kaduna.