THE BRAZEN ACT OF MARGINALISATION OF CHRISTIANS IN KADUNA STATE BY GOVERNOR ELRUFAI

By Tamunotonye Inioribo @TonyeBarcanista

Kaduna state, a beautiful state located in the heart of the northwest, is popularly referred to as a miniature Nigeria. This is because the state has a sharp religious demographical spread of Islam and Christianity adherents between the northern and southern zones of the respectively similar to what is obtained in Nigeria.

Muslim-Christian Demography
Kaduna has 23 local government areas spread across the northern senatorial zone, central senatorial zone and southern senatorial zone. Twelve of these 23 local government areas are predominantly Muslims while eleven are predominantly Christians. The state is also constitutionally divided into three senatorial zones, namely; northern, central and southern zones.

The northern senatorial zone, also called zone 1, consists of eight local government areas namely; Ikara, Kudan, Kubau, Lere, Makarfi , Sabon-Gari, Soba and Zaria local government areas. Of the eight local government areas in this zone, only Lere local government area is predominantly Christian, while the other seven are predominantly Muslims.

The central senatorial district, also called zone 2, is made up of seven local government areas namely; Birnin-Gwari, Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Kaduna north, Kaduna south and Kajuru local government areas. All of these seven local government areas are predominantly Muslims except Chikun and Kajuru local government areas that are predominantly Christians.

The southern senatorial zone, also called zone 3, is made up of eight local government areas. They are; Jaba, Jama'a, Kachia, Kagarko, Kaura, Kauru, Sanga and Zango-Kataf local government areas. All these eight local government areas in this zone are predominantly Christian.

The official population of Kaduna state was put at 6,113,503 with spread as follows;
Northern Zone (Zone 1)
Ikara LGA -194,723
Kubau LGA - 280,704
Kudan LGA - 138,956
Lere LGA - 339,740
Makarfi LGA - 146,574
Sabon-Gari LGA - 291,358
Soba LGA - 291,173
Zaria LGA - 406,990
Total: 2,090,218
Central Zone (Zone two)
Birnin-Gwari LGA 258,581
Chikun LGA - 372,272
Giwa LGA - 292,384
Igabi LGA - 430,753
Kaduna North LGA - 364,575
Kaduna South LGA - 402,731)
Kajuru LGA - 109,810
Total: 2,231,106
Southern Zone (Zone three)
Jaba LGA - 155,973
Jama’a LGA - 278,202
Kachia LGA - 252,568
Kagarko LGA - 239,058
Kaura LGA - 174,626
Kauru LGA - 221,276
Sanga LGA - 151,485
Zangon-Kataf LGA - 318,991
Total: 1,792,179

From official population as seen above, the Muslim predominant north has 2,090,218, the central zone has 2,231,106 population and the Christian predominant south zone has 1,792,179 population, but there is no official fact to ascertain the true population of Christians and Muslims in the state. Nonetheless, the state governor, mallam Nasir Elrufai, a Muslim from the northern senatorial district, argued that the religious demography in the state is 70-30 in favor of the Muslims. The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), the umbrella body of the predominately Christian southern Kaduna people, put the religious demography at 50-50. While neutral observers posited that the religious demography in Kaduna state should be between an evenly 50-50 spread, or a 55-45 spread favor of the Muslims.

Political Marginalization Under Governor Nasir Elrufai
Despite the predominance of the Christian population in eleven out of the twenty three local government areas, the Kaduna state government under Governor Nasir Elrufai, a Muslim, chose to perpetuate a brazen act of marginalisation by excluding the state's Christian population from participating in the affairs of the government since the commencement of his second term. For the first time in the history of Kaduna state, no Christian is found in any of the principal positions across the three arms of government and the civil service.

Governor Nasir Elrufai started the marginalisation in 2018 when he broke the traditional Muslim-Christian ticket or Christian-Muslim ticket in any gubernatorial contests to nominate Hajiyya Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, a fellow Muslim as his running mate for the 2019 gubernatorial election after his former deputy, Arc Bala Bantex, a Christian, opted to run for the Senate to represent the people of Kaduna south senatorial district under the platform of All Progressive Congress.

After his victory at the hotly contested Kaduna state 2019 gubernatorial election against Honourable Ashiru Kudan of Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Elrufai shut out Christians in the state from the running of government. This he did by ensuring that only Muslims are appointed as senior principal officers in the government. This is aside the fact that himself and the deputy governor are Muslims.

The principal government officers are;
Secretary to the State Government - Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal
Chief of Staff to the Governor - Muhammad Sani Abdullah
Kaduna state Head of Service - Hajiyya Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed
Principal Private Secretary - Dr. Salisu Suleiman.

No Christian Among The Entire Presiding And Principal Officers In Kaduna House of Assembly
The marginalisation continues in the legislative arm of government with no single Christian as a member of any of the presiding and principal offices . The Speaker of the House, Honourable Yusuf Tanimu Zailani, the Deputy Speaker Honourable Muktar Isa Hazo, the Majority Leader Alhaji Haruna M A Inuwa, the Chief Whip, Alhaji Idris Abdullahi, the Deputy Majority Leader Alhaji Shehu Yunusa and Deputy Chief Whip Alhaji Salisu Isah, are all Muslims. Meanwhile, the clerk of the Kaduna state House of Assembly, Bello Zubairu is also a Muslim.
Also The Judiciary...
The head of Kaduna state judicial arm of government and Chief Judge of the state, Justice Muhammad Lawal Bello, is also a Muslim.
As if that is not enough, the only two ministers from Kaduna state in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari, Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, and Muhammad Mahmoud, the minister of environment were chosen from the Muslim population.

The development in Kaduna state is indeed a bad omen. It is bad that a state with significant Christian population that are predominant in eleven out of the state's twenty three local government areas, has no senior principal government official across all the three arms of government of the state. What is more disturbing is that Governor Nasir Elrufai, the perpetrator of this brazen act of religious marginalization in Kaduna state, is aspiring to run as presidential candidate at the Nigeria's Presidential election at the termination of his second term in 2023.

Written by Tamunotonye Inioribo|| I can be reached at tonyebarcanista@gmail.com

Tonye, you are fighting a losing battle complaining about what the governor is doing in his state. Allow northerners to cry about that or remain silent if it suits them.

You should be more concerned about the serious marginalization of your own south south from the central government under Buharri. You should be concerned about the Ogoni clean up failure and the militarization of the south south on the excuse of fighting militancy and cultists while allowing the bandits up north determine their operating terms and conditions forcefully.

First remove the log in your own eyes before trying to remove the speck in the eyes of Kaduna people.

If elections are to be conducted 100 times in Kaduna, Muslims will all win but this should not justify the marginalisation of minority in the state or anywhere.

This is why I love my people, what ever is happening in other zones is none of our business.


Why is a failed political analyst from Rivers State more concerned with what's happening in Kaduna state?

It is very obvious , El_rufai is a very dangerous man, unfortunately his family members and the so called Muslim truth Sayers will never say anything or see anything

SLAP44:
Tonye, you are fighting a losing battle complaining about what the governor is doing in his state. Allow northerners to cry about that or remain silent if it suits them.

You should be more concerned about the serious marginalization of your own south south from the central government under Buharri. You should be concerned about the Ogoni clean up failure and the militarization of the south south on the excuse of fighting militancy and cultists while allowing the bandits up north determine their operating terms and conditions forcefully.

First remove the log in your own eyes before trying to remove the speck in the eyes of Kaduna people.

So in your warped mind this is what you can come up with? Comradeship is not about self alone but standing for those that need your feet to stand.

See the problem with Nigeria. They so called people appointed, aren't they from Kaduna? Does religion of the person really matter?
The important thing is that they carry out their function properly. If they err, they should be sacked and replaced but that law doesn't hold forte in Nigeria. As far as am aware, there is calm in Kaduna politics today, they aren't complaining so I don't understand why Tonye is crying over spilt milk. I was in Kaduna recently and Elrufai is working whether you like it or not you can't hate the man. If the trusted people carrying out this developments are Muslims, so be it.

[s]

Genoa:
This is why I love my people, what ever is happening in other zones is none of our business.


Why is a failed political analyst from Rivers State more concerned with what's happening in Kaduna state?

[/s]
So if your neighbor's house is burning you will sit at home because it is not your house and therefore not your business? Why are you reasoning like an infant na?

TonyeBarcanista:

So in your warped mind this is what you can come up with? Comradeship is not about self alone but standing for those that need your feet to stand.

Comradeship is not stupidly, you cannot be losing your oil fields, lands and people and be here doing comradeship!

HarunaWest:
See the problem with Nigeria. They so called people appointed, aren't they from Kaduna? Does religion of the person really matter?
The important thing is that they carry out their function properly. If they err, they should be sacked and replaced but that law doesn't hold forte in Nigeria. As far as am aware, they is calm in Kaduna politics, they aren't complaining so I don't understand why Tonye is crying over spilt milk. I was in Kaduna recently and Elrufai is working whether you like it or not you can't hate the man. If the trusted people carrying out this developments are Muslims, so be it.

Haruna, from your name I could tell your faith. The problem is not your faith, the problem is YOU!

In public service there is need to carry everyone along and make them feel part and parcel of administration irrespective of faith or ethnicity.

Why are some of you like this? How would you feel if your father call his kids for meeting and left you behind?

Tonyebarcanista. You are from southern Nigeria ijaw precisely. What's your problem with Kaduna.

Does it Christian's in the state complain to you. If truly Christian and Muslim are equal in number why Christian not sponsor their people to climb the seat of power in the state.

TonyeBarcanista:
[s][/s]
So if your neighbor's house is burning you will sit at home because it is not your house and therefore not your business? Why are you reasoning like an infant na?

Actually, it's your house that started burning first since 1973 when they started drilling oil in Bayelsa, desecrating sacred forests, polluting the lands and waters and making the people poor and sick.

You will be seen as a wayward man to start quenching your neighbor's house fire of 2018 when your kids are roasting in your own house fire since 1972 !

TonyeBarcanista:
[s][/s]
So if your neighbor's house is burning you will sit at home because it is not your house and therefore not your business? Why are you reasoning like an infant na?

Baba face your state, in as much as Mallam El Rufai is a religion bigot, I feel your post is politically motivated.

Let's Kaduna people speak for themselves.

I think you should be more concerned about Wike tyrannical behaviours in you state.

El Rufai is no different from Wike.

SLAP44:


Comradeship is not stupidly, you cannot be losing your oil fields, lands and people and be here doing comradeship!

I've not lost my land to anyone!

I'm from Okrika, and no part of Okrika, Rivers state and the entire Ijaw nation has been lost to anyone whether overtly or covertly.

Irrespective, I owe it a duty to use my pen to advance humanity cause. I do this not because I am a Christian but because it is the right thing to do. Marginalisation breeds civil unrest

Southwest2023:
Tonyebarcanista. You are from southern Nigeria ijaw precisely. What's your problem with Kaduna.

Does it Christian's in the state complain to you. If truly Christian and Muslim are equal in number why Christian not sponsor their people to climb the seat of power in the state.

It is not about Christian complaining but about a societal ill. And what is this one with "face your state", how does it sound? What about you facing your own state and stay out of this? Or did Kaduna people solicited for your opinion?

[s]

SLAP44:


Actually, it's your house that started burning first since 1973 when they started drilling oil in Bayelsa.

You will be seen as a wayward child to start quenching your neighbor's house fire of 2018 when your kids are roasting in your own house fire since 1972 !

[/s]
It's obvious how you reason! I won't dignify you with any further response

TonyeBarcanista:

I've not lost my land to anyone!

I'm from Okrika, and no part of Okrika, Rivers state and the entire Ijaw nation has been lost to anyone whether overtly or covertly.

Irrespective, I owe it a duty to use my pen to advance humanity cause. I do this not because I am a Christian but because it is the right thing to do. Marginalisation breeds civil unrest

Which Okrika man owns oil Wells in Rivers state? How did you allow Indimi family to be gifted a land with oil wells in your state when you are here pushing your biro for a mere pittance?

Hunger never teach you sense enough?

[s]

Genoa:

Baba face your state, in as much as Mallam El Rufai is a religion bigot, I feel your post is politically motivated.

Let's Kaduna people speak for themselves.

I think you should be more concerned about Wike tyrannical behaviours in you state.

El Rufai is no different from Wike.

[/s]
Another slow reasoning! You claimed that the Governor is a "religious bigot" but still find a way to attack the author that brought to fore a societal ill perpetrated by the Governor. Does that make sense to you?

As for Wike, lol... I am still finding where I said Wike is better that made you to even bring up his name...

TonyeBarcanista:
[s][/s]
It's obvious how you reason! I won't dignify you with any further response

Because you have nothing to defend your misguided position of fighting for the North while your south south burns!

Your actions are inescuseable.

[s]

SLAP44:


Which Okrika man own oil Wells in Rivers state? How did you allow Indimi family to be gifted a land with oil wells in your state when you are here pushing your biro for a mere pittance?

Hunger never teach you sense enough?

[/s]
Just write about the "ills of oil well distribution" and I'll join in the thread to add to it! I've done my bit in that respect and will keep doing!!!


But, I'll still be comrade to others even without their soliciting

TonyeBarcanista:
[s][/s]
Just write about the "ills of oil well distribution" and I'll join in the thread to add to it! I've done my bit in that respect and will keep doing!!!


But, I'll still be comrade to others even without their soliciting

The one that pains me much, is that your people blocked the ocean so Ojukwu cannot win the war, you fought on the federal side and now the Feds have victory, they pushed your people into the gutter and shared the oil wells to the north.

What's more marginalising than that?

TonyeBarcanista:
[s][/s]
Another slow reasoning! You claimed that the Governor is a "religious bigot" but still find a way to attack the author that brought to fore a societal ill perpetrated by the Governor. Does that make sense to you?

As for Wike, lol... I am still finding where I said Wike is better that made you to even bring up his name...

In conclusion, put your own house in other.

Let's Southern Kaduna people speak for themselves.

You are disgracing yourself...I couldn't belive this is what
You reduce yourself to.

TonyeBarcanista:

It is not about Christian complaining but about a societal ill. And what is this one with "face your state", how does it sound? What about you facing your own state and stay out of this? Or did Kaduna people solicited for your opinion?

HarunaWest:
See the problem with Nigeria. They so called people appointed, aren't they from Kaduna? Does religion of the person really matter?
The important thing is that they carry out their function properly. If they err, they should be sacked and replaced but that law doesn't hold forte in Nigeria. As far as am aware, they is calm in Kaduna politics, they aren't complaining so I don't understand why Tonye is crying over spilt milk. I was in Kaduna recently and Elrufai is working whether you like it or not you can't hate the man. If the trusted people carrying out this developments are Muslims, so be it.

Are there no trusted Christians in Kaduna?
Do you realize that religiosity is a serious issue in Nigeria?

edoairways:

Are there no trusted Christians in Kaduna?
Do you realize that religiosity is a serious issue in Nigeria?

He knows but doesn't give a damn because he doesn't see need to as it doesn't "concern him" since he is not a Christian.

This protectionist wey dey behave like yoruba man.

TonyeBarcanista:

He knows but doesn't give a damn because he doesn't see need to as it doesn't "concern him" since he is not a Christian.

Yeah

dd

L

Tonye has said the truth irrespective of his state. If it was IMF or one European organization that had stated these, you all would have applauded them

Op, u've just highlighted the sad truth in that state.

The Christian marginalisation is not only an El rufai thing but also fuelled by the Muslims in that state.

I can't fit talk much.
Christians simply have no say in Kaduna.

But funny enough, the Christians brought massive developments to the state. Without them Kaduna would have just been another almajiri state.