The Kaduna State Government has sharply rebuked former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who claimed that projects recently inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in Kaduna were initiated during his tenure. In a statement released by Ibraheem Musa, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, the state described El‑Rufai’s assertion as a “bare‑faced lie” and accused him of deliberately distorting facts.
According to the statement, three major infrastructure projects were inaugurated by President Tinubu during his visit: the Institutes of Vocational Training and Skills Development, the 300‑bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, and a fleet of 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses. The state clarified that the vocational institutes, located in Rigachiku, Soba, and Samaru Kataf, were fully conceived, built, and completed under Governor Sani’s leadership, as part of his human capital development agenda aimed at equipping 36,000 youths annually. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has reportedly certified them as the best-equipped facilities of their kind in Nigeria.
Regarding the CNG bus initiative, the statement noted that Sani introduced this to cushion the impact of the subsidy removal. These environmentally friendly buses are providing free rides for workers, retirees, and students during the first six months, with subsidised fares open to the general public afterward.
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, originally conceptualised during Governor Namadi Sambo’s tenure, had languished at only 53% completion before Governor Sani took office. His administration prioritised completing the structure and fully equipping it, restoring its status as a functioning 300-bed facility.
In a broader political context, El‑Rufai has frequently criticised Governor Sani’s perceived alignment with President Tinubu, accusing him of sycophancy linked to over ₦150 billion in federal reimbursements Kaduna received in the past 18 months. However, the state government has stood firm, stating that such criticism amounts to political revisionism aimed at undermining genuine development achievements.
