Kaduna, September 5, 2025 — The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Kaduna State Chapter, has strongly condemned recent remarks by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, describing them as “false, incendiary and dangerously misleading.”
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, the forum accused the former governor of attempting to distort demographic and political realities about Southern Kaduna during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Air Commodore John Bako Ajeye (Rtd), Chairman of the MBF Kaduna State Chapter, said El-Rufai’s claims that Christians make up “not even 25 percent” of Kaduna State’s population were “a lie from the pit of hell,” stressing that verified data from independent and government sources paints a different picture.
“Southern Kaduna is home to a projected population of 5.1 million people, almost half of the state’s population today,” Ajeye said. He explained that the region comprises 12 Local Government Areas, with the eight LGAs of Kaduna South Senatorial Zone forming its core, alongside Chikun, Kajuru, Kaduna South and Lere.
The MBF described Kaduna State as a “near-balanced state” in terms of religion, dismissing El-Rufai’s narrative of Christian minority status. The forum also highlighted the historical contributions of Southern Kaduna to education, civil service and leadership, citing notable figures such as Dr. Barau Dikko and Prof. Ishaya Audu.
Ajeye said the former governor’s attempt to politically diminish Southern Kaduna was “the height of ingratitude,” noting that the bloc was decisive in the 2023 gubernatorial election where Governor Uba Sani won by just 10,806 votes.
The MBF further condemned El-Rufai’s comparison of Southern Kaduna’s Christian communities to the proscribed Shiite movement, describing it as “reckless, bigoted, and designed to incite hatred.”
The group accused El-Rufai’s administration of policies that marginalized Southern Kaduna, including the balkanization of traditional institutions, unfair redrawing of electoral wards, neglect of infrastructure, and disregard for security. It also recalled his controversial admission of paying bandits and statements on the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai should desist from spreading falsehood and poisoning the unity in our dear state,” the statement read. “At his age, he should be seeking peace and making amends, not actively working to plunge future generations into conflict.”
The MBF called on Nigerians, the media, and civil society organizations to disregard El-Rufai’s “malicious fabrications” and hold him accountable.
“El-Rufai left Kaduna State far more in ruins than he met it,” Ajeye said, adding that the former governor’s policies of demolitions, worker retrenchment and neglect were “a curse” to many residents.
The press conference ended with a reaffirmation of the forum’s commitment to equity, justice, and unity in Kaduna State.
