The Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC) has demanded a judicial probe into the administration of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of orchestrating what they described as a campaign of intimidation and injustice against Southern Kaduna communities.
At a press conference titled “Dispelling Lies and Hate Against a People”, the Council refuted allegations made by El-Rufai’s former media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, that some chiefdoms, including Adara, willingly sought changes to their traditional identities.
SKLC Secretary, Timothy B. Gandu, stated that these claims were not only misleading but contradicted by official state documents.
Gandu explained that in 2017, the El-Rufai government set up a 13-member committee to review and propose new names for chiefdoms—shifting emphasis from ethnic to geographical identities.
According to him, this move was unilaterally driven by the government, not by traditional leaders.
He cited a letter from the office of the Secretary to the State Government as evidence that the initiative came from the top, not the grassroots.
The Council further alleged that only a few communities actually requested changes, while the majority either opposed the renaming or never made any such request.
Out of 25 affected chiefdoms, 17 rejected the changes, and seven clarified that no requests came from them.
Southern Kaduna, home to over 56 ethnic groups across 12 local government areas, could not have unanimously sought such changes, the Council argued.
Credit: dailypost.ng
