Former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai was notably absent from the state’s executive committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the highest decision-making body of the party in Kaduna.

During the meeting, held on Saturday, July 6, the committee expressed strong support for the current governor, Uba Sani, by passing a vote of confidence in his leadership. The committee praised Governor Sani’s “rural transformation initiatives and exemplary youth and women empowerment programmes.”

The executive meeting, intended for party members who currently hold or have previously held top public positions in Kaduna or nationally, saw the attendance of key figures including Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, a former governor of Kaduna; Datti Babawo, Vice-Chair of the APC in the North-West; and Yusuf Dahiru Liman, Speaker of the Kaduna House of Assembly.

Tensions between el-Rufai and Sani have escalated in recent months. In March, Governor Sani disclosed that his administration inherited a substantial debt from the el-Rufai administration, amounting to $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities. Sani emphasized that this debt burden is significantly impacting the state’s share of the monthly federation allocation.

Subsequently, an ad hoc committee established by the Kaduna House of Assembly recommended a probe into el-Rufai’s tenure. On June 26, el-Rufai responded by suing the state assembly over allegations that his administration mismanaged N423 billion.

The ongoing conflict between the two political figures underscores the challenges within the Kaduna APC.