ADC National Vanguard

We Present to you the Amiable Credible and Undisputable ADC National Youth Leader for all...
Hon. Cmrd Balarabe Rufa'i....

KADUNA UPDATE - "EL-RUFAI AND THE SOUTHERN KADUNA QUESTION: BREAKING THE ALTAR OF MANIPULATION" - By Hon. Abubakar MG, Political Scientist

I decided to embark on this research after observing how everything in Nigeria today is reduced to politics, how people twist facts, manipulate emotions, and rewrite history just to destroy the reputation of others. Seeing how Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has been continuously attacked and unfairly blamed for the Southern Kaduna conflict, I chose to conduct a deep and independent investigation. I wanted to separate truth from propaganda. In the course of this research, I traveled to various communities in Southern Kaduna, sat with elders men who have seen decades of blood, bitterness, and failed peace efforts and I studied credible academic works including “The Crisis of Belonging and Ethnographies of Peacebuilding in Kaduna State, Nigeria” and “Civil-Military Relations and Conflict Management in Nigeria: A Study of Southern Kaduna Conflict (2010–2017).”

Through these studies and first hand engagements, I gathered a profound understanding of the origins, evolution, and manipulation of the Southern Kaduna conflict. My findings are clear, the crisis did not begin with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Its roots lie deep in historical tensions driven by indigene versus settler debates, competition over land between farming and pastoralist groups, and decades of government absence in enforcing justice and development. The conflict thrived because successive governments allowed local elites to exploit it either through weak law enforcement, political favoritism, or deliberate neglect of rural communities.

The book “The Crisis of Belonging and Ethnographies of Peacebuilding in Kaduna State” particularly highlights how colonial structures and post colonial identity politics deepened the indigene settler divide. Southern Kaduna became a battlefield not because its people were naturally violent, but because politics weaponized ethnicity and religion as tools for dominance. Meanwhile, “Civil Military Relations and Conflict Management in Nigeria (2010–2017)” reveals how the crisis persisted due to inconsistent state responses weak law enforcement, poor intelligence coordination, and manipulation by politicians seeking sympathy or revenge.

I must emphasize this with absolute clarity, El-Rufai inherited a region already bleeding from decades of failed leadership. When he assumed office, Southern Kaduna was a metaphor for chaos highways turned into death traps, farmlands deserted, schools destroyed, and markets crippled. Entire villages had been burned down, and the local economy was paralyzed. It was not governance, it was survival.

Unlike his predecessors, El-Rufai did not approach the crisis with sentiment or selective empathy. He approached it with enforcement, policy, and a commitment to ending impunity. For the first time, a governor refused to pay so called “compensation” or “blood money” to communities, knowing such practices only rewarded violence. Before his reforms, each crisis would end with payouts creating a perverse incentive for new rounds of bloodshed. El-Rufai said, “No more.” That decision was not cruelty, it was governance. It was a rational, moral act a stand against institutionalized blackmail that had for decades fueled revenge attacks under the disguise of justice.

My research revealed that what many called El-Rufai’s “bias” was in fact the first true attempt at neutrality in Southern Kaduna. For the first time, a governor declared that no tribe, religion, or group had monopoly over victimhood or justice. Whether the culprit was a Fulani herder or a Christian farmer, justice had to prevail equally. Yet, this impartiality became his greatest sin in the eyes of those who had built their entire political survival on perpetual division.

I also discovered that most of the loudest critics of El-Rufai are not the rural poor not the farmers, herders, or traders who lost their livelihoods but the political elite who thrived on conflict. These are individuals who have never visited a mass burial, who never comforted widows, but who constantly amplify division in newspapers and television interviews. They weaponized victimhood, portraying themselves as defenders of their people while feeding off the chaos that killed their own. El-Rufai disrupted this lucrative enterprise, and for that, he became their public enemy number one.

Let me state this unapologetically, El-Rufai’s approach to Southern Kaduna was the most intellectually grounded peace policy in the region’s history. His policies were designed to break the endless loop of revenge and counter-revenge. As a political scientist, I have always argued “If bringing lasting peace to 1 million people requires confronting or even losing 1000 violent elements, then it is not cruelty, it is justice.” Peace without justice is hypocrisy.

Southern Kaduna elites want a peace built on pity and manipulation, while El-Rufai offered a peace built on law and equality. That is why they hate him. They want a leader who will cry publicly and settle privately. El-Rufai refused. He understood that a government that compromises justice to please emotions destroys its own authority.

Today, the facts speak louder than propaganda. The scale of communal crises in Southern Kaduna has drastically reduced compared to pre El-Rufai years. Rural roads are safer, farming has resumed in areas that were once abandoned, and schools that were shut down due to insecurity are reopening. This stability was not gifted by luck it was enforced through courage, policy, and discipline.

Economically, El-Rufai administration redirected resources into rebuilding education and rural infrastructure rather than funding peace meetings that produced no peace. He insisted that governance must deliver structure, not slogans. Critics called it arrogance, I call it leadership.

In my professional judgment, history will vindicate Nasir El-Rufai. He was not a perfect man no leader is but he was the first to face Southern Kaduna crisis without pretending that tears alone could solve it. He confronted it with enforcement, not excuses. He restored the authority of law over sentiment, and he dared to make decisions that others feared would cost them votes.

Those who accuse him today do so not out of love for peace, but out of bitterness for lost political control. They know that once peace takes root, their manipulation dies.

As I conclude this first episode of my findings, I make this assertion as a student of history and a scholar of political behavior, Southern Kaduna problem was never El-Rufai. It was the politics of grievance, the economy of conflict, and the religion of blame. El-Rufai merely broke their altar of manipulation, and for that, they call him heartless. But someday, even his fiercest critics will admit that he gave Southern Kaduna the one thing they had not experienced in decades the beginning of true peace.

And I stand by that truth, not because it is popular, but because it is right.

~Hon. Abubakar MG
Political Scientist
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*El-Rufai’s Legacy of Progress: A Call to Rekindle Kaduna’s Developmental Momentum*
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In the chronicles of Kaduna State’s transformation, few eras stand as decisively visionary as that of Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai. His administration was marked not by rhetoric, but by results — a governance philosophy rooted in planning, precision, and performance. The legacy he left behind continues to define Kaduna’s modern identity, even as the pace of progress today demands renewed urgency and commitment.

Among the many transformational initiatives of El-Rufai’s administration, none carried deeper personal commitment or greater strategic significance than the Kaduna Electric Power Plant, popularly known as the Kudenda Power Plant — a 215-megawatt gas-fired facility envisioned to provide stable, industrial-grade electricity for Kaduna’s factories, businesses, and households. Conceived to energize the state’s industrial clusters, it stood for years as a symbol of what purposeful leadership could achieve.

According to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, the plant now stands at 87% completion and is projected to become operational before the end of 2025. Yet, it must not be forgotten that this project endured six years of near-abandonment after 2018 — a period marked by bureaucratic inertia and political neglect. Only recently have federal interventions revived it.

This revival is not a new beginning, but a continuation of El-Rufai’s strategic blueprint, which sought to industrialize Kaduna through reliable energy. Indeed, the final official memo El-Rufai handed over to his successor before leaving office was centered on this very project — underlining how vital it was to his developmental masterplan.

If there was one major source of friction between the El-Rufai administration and the current Kaduna State government, it was the latter’s failure to continue and complete this historic power project. El-Rufai’s records of progress remain publicly accessible — clear evidence of the scale of work, investment, and vision that went into the project. Yet today, there is little to show in terms of continuation or completion. What was once a beacon of energy sufficiency and industrial hope now stands as a symbol of stalled ambition.

The Kaduna Power Project was not just an infrastructure investment; it was a statement of intent — a pledge to secure Kaduna’s economic independence through energy self-reliance. Its neglect represents more than administrative lapse; it signals a retreat from a legacy of bold, forward-thinking governance.

Equally emblematic of El-Rufai’s far-reaching vision is the Kaduna Inland Dry Port, commissioned in 2018 as Northern Nigeria’s gateway to global trade. Designed to decongest seaports and empower northern exporters, the facility was built to revolutionize commerce and logistics. While recent reports indicate operations at a suboptimal level — clearing just over 500 containers in the first quarter of 2025 — the vision behind it remains alive. The Nigerian Railway Corporation’s efforts to improve rail connectivity reaffirm that El-Rufai’s policies were not random projects, but interconnected systems meant to propel sustainable economic growth.

Similarly, the Tankers Village initiative and the creation of organized trailer parks at Maraban Jos and Tafa reflected El-Rufai’s firm commitment to safety, order, and urban discipline. His administration removed heavy vehicles from highways, reduced accidents, and restored sanity to Kaduna’s major routes. The decline of these facilities and the resurgence of tanker-related accidents in recent years point not to design flaws, but to a failure of continuity and enforcement — the weakening of systems built with vision and care.

These achievements were never isolated acts; they were deliberate components of a coherent policy framework enshrined in the Kaduna State Development Plan (KSDP) — spanning 2016–2020 and 2021–2025. The plans established measurable targets across education, healthcare, infrastructure, digital governance, and human capital. Today, the widening gap between what was envisioned and what is being delivered serves as a sobering reminder that vision without vigilance quickly fades into stagnation.

To complement these reforms, El-Rufai also championed energy diversification, laying the groundwork for future sustainability. The ongoing 100-megawatt solar-plus-battery project across Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi States is a direct extension of the policy foundations he created — proof that his long-term energy strategies continue to guide the region’s development discourse.

The record is indisputable: these are not abstract promises or campaign talking points, but verifiable, measurable milestones that defined Kaduna’s rise as a model of subnational transformation. Every kilometer of road, every rehabilitated school, every completed power installation echoed El-Rufai’s conviction that governance must deliver tangible progress, not political theatre.

Today, as Kaduna stands at a developmental crossroads, this reflection is not written out of nostalgia, but out of necessity — a reminder that continuity is the currency of progress, and that the future can only be built by those who respect the foundations laid before them.

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s legacy was never about monuments — it was about momentum. And it is this momentum that Kaduna must not lose.
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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply disturbed by the brazen insensitivity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the growing insecurity in the country.

As the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, in whom the constitutional authority to secure the lives and property of citizens is vested, the President’s continued preference for attending social and political events in the midst of alarming deterioration of internal security is both unacceptable and irresponsible.

Just today, the newspapers are reporting that nine Local Government Areas in Kwara State, a state that had until this APC-led administration enjoyed a reputation for peace and stability, reportedly came under siege by armed bandits. In a development that underscores the extent of state fragility, residents are now being forced to provide food items, drinks, money, and other services as ransom payments. This is a complete failure of governance. Yet, the presidency has neither acknowledged the situation nor outlined any plan of action to support the affected communities or hold those responsible to account.

On the same day, a similar tragic attack by gunmen was reported in Kogi State, during which travellers were killed and several others, including women and children, were abducted for ransom. Earlier in the week, there were reports that more than 180 schools across states in Northern Nigeria have been shut and children kept at home as a result of worsening insecurity. Unfortunately, these reports form part of a broader and bloodier pattern. From Plateau to Zamfara, Benue to Niger, Kaduna to Kwara, incidents of mass abductions, violent attacks, and forced displacement continue to rise.

Despite this, the federal government persists in offering vague assurances that “progress” is being made, an insensitive claim that is being refuted daily in blood and body counts of innocent victims who, it now appears, the gunmen kill for sport.

While rural communities are being emptied and schools are being shut down, the President continues to attend funerals and ceremonies involving political associates. This sends the unfortunate message that the President cares more about political appearances than the lives of Nigerian citizens.

We recall that earlier in the year, hundreds of people were killed by gunmen in the same Plateau State in attacks that lasted several months, but the President never thought it necessary to visit the state at the time. Instead, the President remained in the cosy comfort of the Presidential Villa to condemn the attacks he should have prevented and issued directives that no one obeyed.

President Tinubu’s claim of progress in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria is indeed a tragic denial of the reality of most Nigerians who have had to bury loved ones in recent days and on a daily basis. This denial by the President, no doubt, emanates either from cruel indifference or tragic oversimplification of a very complex problem. This is why the President does not say anything new or promise anything new on how he plans to lift this siege on Nigeria.

The ADC therefore finds it hollow and insincere, the President’s claim that he plans to unite Nigerians. For avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu’s actions or inactions since he came to power have divided Nigerians more than ever before. And he cannot erase this record by attending one ceremonial church event in Jos or wearing Isiagu in Imo. Symbolism of national unity, no matter how well delivered, cannot replace the responsibility to truly unite, even with simple actions of showing up wherever the people need you, not when you need to make political appearances for your friends.

The ADC therefore calls on the Tinubu administration to do the following:

First, formally acknowledge the scale and complexity of the security situation across the country, and stop making insensitive claims of progress which mock the reality of Nigerians.

Second, engage honestly and directly with the affected states, local governments, and communities, listen to their stories, and ask for ideas.

Third, elevate security alertness level in the country and coordinate joint military and police deployments to these areas with the full involvement of local and state security networks.

Fourth, commit to regular public reporting on security incidents and outcomes. And finally, institute a transparent mechanism for tracking and auditing the use of federal security funds.

Nigeria is under attack. This administration must stop pretending otherwise. They must stop treating national security as a political talking point and start treating it as a governing priority. The lives of Nigerians must matter more than soundbites and ceremonies. The time for symbolic gestures is over. What the country needs now is responsible leadership, operational urgency, and measurable results.

AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (ADC) THE PARTY OF HOPE AND ACTION!

Nigeria deserves more than empty promises. Nigeria deserves a fresh direction, a party built on values, unity, and people-centered leadership. That party is ADC! ✅

Why ADC is the Right Choice:

1️⃣ Inclusive & Youth-Driven — ADC gives voice to the youth, women, and professionals who are often ignored by the old political order.

2️⃣ Accountability & Transparency — Unlike parties that thrive on corruption, ADC is building a system where leaders serve the people, not themselves.

3️⃣ Nation-Building Agenda — ADC is not about one tribe, one region, or one religion. It is about ONE NIGERIA where every citizen has equal stake.

4️⃣ People Before Power — Other parties chase power for personal gain. ADC is about service, development, and restoring trust in governance.

5️⃣ Future-Oriented — While others are recycling the same names and same failures, ADC is preparing a new generation of leaders with fresh ideas.

Our Message is Clear:
If Nigerians want CHANGE that is real and sustainable — if Nigerians are tired of poverty, insecurity, and broken promises — then ADC is the Movement to join! ✊

2027 is not just another election — it is the turning point.
Vote ADC. Stand with ADC. Build the Nigeria of our dreams. 🇳🇬
Atiku Abubakar
Nasir El-Rufai
Dr. Mutawalli Kashim Ibrahim Imam-Cfr the Mutawalli of Borno
Professor Isa Ali Pantami
Mr. Peter Obi

Goodnews: ADC has completed documentation with INEC

~ Spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, says that the party has successfully completed its documentations with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Abdullahi, who made this affirmation on Monday, said the party has met all aspects of the documentation with the electoral umpire.

“We have successfully completed our documentations with INEC. In fact, we were able to meet the outstanding documentation as of Thursday last week,” he said.

Some of the outstanding issues were said to be the submission of names of principal officers of the party, including the signatures of the National Chairman, David Mark and the National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.

In a similar development, a former Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, has said that the ADC is fully prepared for the 2027 general elections.