Mixed reactions have followed the comments by the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (Rtd), against the former governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Nasir El-Rufai.
Musa accused the former governor of taking actions that deepened divisions and contributed to insecurity in Kaduna State during his administration between 2015 and 2023
The minister, on Channels TV’s Politics Today, described the situation in the state during El-Rufai’s tenure as “toxic”, arguing that residents of Southern Kaduna remained unhappy with the former governor over the killings recorded in the area during his administration
“El-Rufai did a lot of terrible things in Kaduna State He divided the state into two. In that, if you are from the south, you cannot go to the north to live,” Musa had said during the interview.
When Musa was asked whether the people of Southern Kaduna were still unhappy with the former governor, he said, “If there is anything worse than unhappy We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.”
He also accused El-Rufai of ordering the demolition of houses belonging to people with whom he had personal disagreements
However, Nigerians expressed mixed feelings over the minister’s comments on the former governor
Nura Bako Zango, a teacher, wondered why the minister made sweeping allegations against El-Rufai, who is currently in the custody of a security agency on charges of alleged financial malfeasance
Zango said, “If Mallam Nasir El-Rufai divided Kaduna State along religious lines and allegedly planned the killing of his own people, as Gen Musa claimed, then it is pertinent to ask the following questions:
“1 Was Kaduna State united before El-Rufai became governor?
“2 Did killings, communal clashes and violent conflicts in Kaduna State begin during El-Rufai’s administration?
“3 Was Gen. Musa not alive when more than 1,000 Muslims were killed in Southern Kaduna during the 2011 post-election violence?
“4 Who was the governor of Kaduna State in 2011? Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa or El-Rufai?
“5 Who accused the governor at the time of deliberately planning to kill Muslims despite his deliberate refusal to come to their rescue?
“6 Who introduced or pioneered the culture of killing and terrorism in the history of Kaduna State? Was it El-Rufai, or was it his fellow tribesman, Zamani Lekwot?
“7 Was Gen. Musa not alive when Zamani Lekwot was accused of masterminding the killing of hundreds of Muslims in Zangon Kataf in 1992?
“8 Between El-Rufai and Zamani Lekwot, who served in Kaduna State, who was responsible for the killing of innocent people?
“These are important historical and political questions that deserve clear and honest answers
“Rather than making sweeping allegations, let the General answer these questions and put the historical record before the people of Kaduna State”
Abdulmatin Muhammed Jibril, in a post on Facebook, challenged the minister to provide evidence to substantiate his allegation
He said, “As a general of the Nigerian Army, what efforts did you make to protect your people from him?
“Show us just one piece of evidence of you speaking up
“There are people who only know how to praise whoever is in power I wish you were not one of them.”
Ibrahim Idris Muazzam said: “It’s quite unfortunate to hear this coming from C G. Musa’s mouth. Politics should never be taken to this extent. El-Rufa’i served the people of Kaduna State with fairness and without discrimination. The truth is, he was never the type to take nonsense from anyone, and that may be why many of them are speaking and behaving this way toward him today.”
Sani Ahmed said: Kaduna was divided before 1999 No Muslim will live in areas dominated by the Christians and no Christian will live in areas dominated by the Muslims. Therefore, El Rufai has nothing to do with these divisions along ethnic and religious lines.”
But rising in defence of the minister, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, said the comments of those berating Gen Musa did not and cannot erase the experience Southern Kaduna people had.
He said, “I have observed that most of these attacks occur on the Arewa Consultative Forum platform and similar others majorly populated by Northerners of the “Arewa” persuasion
“Whatever Nasiru’s defenders might say in his defence, I concede their right to do so, being his Fulani/ Moslem/“Arewa” compatriots and also probably some beneficiaries of his ignoble actions against the Southern Kaduna ethnic nationalities
“But their views do not alter the experiences of Southern Kaduna people in Nasiru’s hands while he was the Governor of Kaduna State To them, and by extension us (all Northern ethnic Nationalities and Christians), Nasiru El-Rufai was what Adolf Hitler was to the Jews; no more, no less.
“This is their reality, which, as Christopher says, is mercifully being addressed by the current governor, who himself is a Fulani/Moslem but of a merciful type; God bless his soul
“So, we will resist any attempt by Nasiru’s compatriots to lynch one of the best of ours in the person of Gen Musa, a brilliant patriot and a highly regarded military officer who served out his tenure with distinction
“We advise that they focus the millions of their out-of-school children roaming the streets with pans in their hands and who are an easy pool for recruitment into insurgency and banditry groups”
Also, Victor Mathew Bobai, the Senior Special Adviser to the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on Public Affairs, urged Nigerians to focus on the substance of the minister’s claims and subject them to facts and evidence
Reacting in a statement, Bobai said the minister’s position should be assessed within the context of democratic participation and national discourse, rather than on assumptions about his political motives Political Analysis Reports.
“We must distinguish between an official directive and a political opinion General Musa did not issue a military order, announce a defence policy or instruct the Armed Forces to support any political party. He participated in a public conversation and expressed his assessment of the political environment,” he said.
When Daily Trust contacted the Minister on Sunday through his media aide to find out whether he regretted making the allegations, he said he had no further comment on the matter
“I will not be commenting on this matter Thank you,” Leah Katung-Babatunde, the Special Assistant on Media to the minister, told our correspondent.