Busted! El-Rufai Tries to Hijack Uba Sani’s Projects
The Kaduna State Government has exposed what it calls a desperate and dishonest attempt by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai to claim credit for landmark projects recently commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his official visit to the state.
In a scathing press release, the government described El-Rufai’s televised claim—that all the commissioned projects were initiated under his administration—as a “bare-faced lie” and a shameless distortion of the truth.
During his visit, President Tinubu inaugurated three major initiatives: the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, a fleet of 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Buses, and three world-class Vocational and Skills Development Institutes. According to the state government, none of these were conceived or delivered by El-Rufai.
The skills institutes—Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa Institute in Rigachikun, Col. Dangiwa Umar Institute in Soba, and Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Institute in Samaru Kataf—were fully initiated and completed under Governor Uba Sani. Certified by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as Nigeria’s best-equipped training centres, they are expected to produce 36,000 skilled graduates annually. The NBTE Executive Secretary even hailed Kaduna as Nigeria’s “hub of skills development”—a feat attributed directly to Uba Sani’s investment in youth empowerment.
The CNG buses, introduced to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal, were also procured and launched by the Uba Sani administration. Under the plan, students, workers, and retirees will enjoy free rides for six months, with subsidised fares thereafter—making public transport cleaner and more affordable.
As for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, it was originally conceived during the Namadi Sambo era but remained a ghost project for years. When Uba Sani assumed office, the hospital stood at 53% completion with no equipment—despite massive budgetary allocations under El-Rufai’s watch. Uba Sani prioritized and completed it, fully equipping the 300-bed facility, which is now celebrated as a flagship achievement in healthcare delivery.
Even former Vice President Sambo acknowledged at the commissioning that three administrations failed to finish the project—until Uba Sani stepped in.
“The facts are too glaring to twist,” said Chief Press Secretary Ibraheem Musa. “Malam Nasir El-Rufai may be good at talking, but Governor Uba Sani is delivering. Kaduna people see the difference.”
The government emphasized that while El-Rufai is entitled to his opinion, he is not entitled to fabricate history.
In its reaction to this development, the Uba Sani Legacy Projects Solidarity Assembly ( ULEPSA) a press statement signed by Khadija Mohammed, Director of Strategic Communication, it declared: “No amount of political spin or revisionism can erase Uba Sani’s concrete achievements. El-Rufai should sit this one out.”
