The head of the Christian Association of Nigeria for the 19 Northern states and Abuja, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, has spoken out against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai’s comments about Southern Kaduna, calling them harmful, divisive, and showing a clear dislike for the people there.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, El-Rufai claimed that people from Southern Kaduna make up less than 25% of the state’s population and that he didn’t regret his actions and policies towards the region during his time as governor.
However, Hayab pointed out El-Rufai’s history of using policies that were harmful to peaceful coexistence in the state.
According to him, during a national census, Southern Kaduna’s population was so significant that the Kaduna State Shariah Committee almost took legal action against the National Population Commission.
This incident alone, he stated, vividly illustrated the region’s significant population, which shouldn’t be ignored.
Despite many pastors in the area having only one wife, Hayab claims that families with 15 or even 23 children prove the region’s population is thriving and shouldn’t be dismissed.
He asserted that Southern Kaduna does not have a smaller population but victim of exaggerated numbers in other parts to fake dominance.
He expressed disappointment that “El-Rufai could openly boast that he had no regrets for his actions against Southern Kaduna communities,” and that it showed “the depth of the former governor’s disdain for the people he once governed.”
Hayab dismissed El-Rufai’s denial of being a fundamentalist, calling it an attempt to twist the truth, and based his criticism on his own difficult experiences during El-Rufai’s rule.
The Current Peace
Hayab noted that the harmony in Kaduna now is a stark change from the tension during El-Rufai’s leadership. He hinted that this calmness makes El-Rufai bitter, as it challenges the divisive policies he thrived on before.
The CAN chairman also highlighted the need for future census activities to factor in religion and ethnicity. “This would help prevent manipulative leaders from distorting population figures and inflicting demographic imbalances that do not exist in reality,” he argued.
Towards the end, Hayab encouraged Nigerians to reject all divisive ideas. Instead, he urged everyone to focus on fairness, justice, and inclusivity in political and demographic contexts.
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