FFK Accuses El-Rufai Of Persecuting Christians In Kaduna

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has accused former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of persecuting Christians and marginalising Christian communities during his eight-year tenure.

Fani-Kayode made the allegations while commenting on recent developments involving the former governor and his successor, Uba Sani.

He alleged that Christians were killed, communities denied development and allocations, and Christian leaders subjected to insults during El-Rufai’s administration.

According to him, Christians repeatedly opposed the former governor’s alleged policies but chose prayer and non-violence.

Fani-Kayode said he had a close relationship with Sani, who served as a special adviser to El-Rufai before becoming governor, and described the incumbent governor as fair-minded and free of discriminatory tendencies.

He recalled a conversation with Sani in which he expressed concern about the treatment of Christians in Kaduna.

Fani-Kayode said Sani later told him that he had been aware of what he described as plans by El-Rufai against both Christians and Muslims in the state.

He further alleged that El-Rufai’s former deputy, Barnabas Bala Bantex, was insulted over his faith during cabinet meetings.

“There are so many things that he told me, but I’ll just leave it at that,” Fani-Kayode said.

The former minister described El-Rufai as a “monster” and accused him of seeking to undermine Christians and their faith while in office.

He said Sani’s emergence as governor represented, in his view, an opportunity to correct what he described as injustices under the previous administration.

Fani-Kayode also claimed that El-Rufai faced significant opposition from Muslims over some of his controversial statements and policies.

He said several of his Muslim friends had contacted him to express concern over the former governor’s actions.

Fani-Kayode said he had previously spoken out against El-Rufai despite being a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that two Facebook posts he made generated more than six million views within two days.

He said his decision to speak out was driven by his religious convictions rather than political considerations.

“There’s something that comes before politics, comes before anything, and that is God, because it is God that gives you everything else,” he said.

Fani-Kayode added that people should be willing to stand up for their faith and communities when they believe they have been wronged.