The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has condemned former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent remarks on Southern Kaduna’s population, describing them as “dangerous, divisive, and a display of disdain” toward the people of the region.
El-Rufai, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, claimed that Southern Kaduna makes up less than 25 per cent of the state’s population. He defended his eight-year tenure, insisting he had “no regrets” over his policies and decisions regarding the region, arguing that leadership requires tough choices rather than seeking universal approval.
“I don’t care. The people that think I am a fundamentalist don’t know me,” El-Rufai declared. “I don’t tolerate nonsense; governance is not a joke. When you are governing 10 million people as I did in Kaduna, you must discriminate between A and B. Nobody can blackmail me that because he is a Christian, the law doesn’t apply to him. Some of the closest people I worked with in government are from Southern Kaduna. They know that this is not true.”
In a statement on Monday, Hayab rejected El-Rufai’s claims, asserting that they were in line with the former governor’s history of pursuing policies that undermined peace and unity in the state. He described the remarks as both insulting and misleading.
“El-Rufai’s population comments show disdain for Southern Kaduna,” Hayab said. “No responsible leader should make statements that demean the worth and dignity of an entire community.”
The cleric recalled a previous census in which Southern Kaduna’s figures were so substantial that a State Shariah Committee considered taking the National Population Commission to court, highlighting the region’s demographic significance. He also pointed to the vibrant family life in Southern Kaduna, where households often include 15 to 23 children, even among Christian families led by pastors who do not practice polygamy, reflecting the region’s strong population base.
“The reality is that population distortions in Kaduna have not stemmed from a deficit in Southern Kaduna, but from inflated figures in other parts of the state,” Hayab said.
He further accused El-Rufai of benefiting from division during his tenure, contrasting it with the relative peace and coexistence currently enjoyed in Kaduna. “This harmony explains why the former governor appears bitter and angry, as the unity among the people undermines the divisive agenda he once thrived on,” Hayab added.
Hayab also called for greater transparency in future census exercises, urging the Federal Government and the National Population Commission to include both religion and ethnicity in population counts. “Our nation’s unity can only be strengthened when all citizens are treated with dignity, and truth is not sacrificed for political convenience,” he said
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