Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has raised concerns that certain politicians are threatening Nigeria’s democracy because they refuse to accept government decisions and policy outcomes that do not favour them.
The governor spoke on Thursday at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna while hosting journalists for Ramadan iftar (breaking of fast), where he cautioned the media to remain vigilant against what he described as “latter-day activists.”
According to him, journalists played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s struggle for democracy and must not allow anti-democratic forces to undermine the system they fought to establish.
“When we were in the struggle as civil rights activists, we relied mostly on journalists. Many of them lost their freedom and some even lost their lives while we were fighting for democracy,” he said.
Sani stressed that Nigeria’s democratic history cannot be discussed without acknowledging the sacrifices of journalists, urging them to be wary of politicians he described as “conflict merchants.”
The governor accused such politicians of deliberately promoting divisive narratives centred on ethnicity and religion instead of addressing key development issues affecting Nigerians.
“They do not focus on healthcare, education, human capital development, infrastructure, unemployment or poverty. Rather, they dwell on ethnicity and religion which divide the country,” he said.
He added that these politicians often shift their rhetoric during election periods, using ethnic and religious sentiments to gain political advantage instead of presenting practical solutions to national challenges.
Sani also criticised what he called “emergency activists,” claiming many of them were absent during the pro-democracy struggle and even collaborated with military regimes at the time.
“When we were fighting for democracy, they were partnering with military dictators. Today, from nowhere, they are trying to teach us democracy,” he said.
The governor argued that such individuals lack credibility on issues such as human rights, rule of law and justice, urging journalists to scrutinise their records.
“What do they know about fundamental human rights? What do they know about freedom, the rule of law, equality and justice?” he asked.
Highlighting his administration’s achievements, Sani said development had been extended to all 23 local government areas in Kaduna State within the past two and a half years.
He revealed that before his administration came into office, 12 local government areas had not recorded a single kilometre of road construction in a decade.
The governor also disclosed that only five out of the state’s 32 secondary hospitals were functional when his administration assumed office, but said 15 of them are currently undergoing renovation, equipping and remodelling.
On education, Sani said the number of out-of-school children in Kaduna had dropped significantly from about 580,000 to 182,000, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
He added that the state government, in collaboration with partners including the Kuwait Development Fund, Islamic Development Bank and UNICEF, plans to build an additional 102 schools.
According to the governor, Kaduna State has secured $62.8 million in funding to tackle the out-of-school children crisis, making it the only sub-national government in Nigeria currently benefitting from the intervention.
“Our focus is to leave no child outside the classroom in Kaduna State because we believe education is the greatest leveller. We must give the children of the poor access to education,” he said.
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