The Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC) has formally addressed the shift in the region’s political and security landscape, contrasting the current era of “inclusiveness” with the total marginalization they say occurred between 2015 and 2023.
Speaking on behalf of a special committee on Wednesday, the 17th of December, 2025, the Chairman Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai (Rtd) delivered a pointed assessment of the previous administrations of former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Rear Admiral Bobai did not mince words regarding the previous state leadership, noting that the region felt intentionally sidelined. He stated: “During the reign of former governor Nasir El-Rufai, he did not hide his hatred for the our people.”
“We never had anything. We mounted prayers begging God to intervene on the issues of the area. God in His infinite mercy answered our prayers and by January 2026, we are going to give a thanksgiving prayer to the Almighty.”
The Council highlighted a significant turnaround in the region’s stability. With the return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands and the resumption of farming activities, the SKLC chairman noted:“The people of Southern Kaduna have every reason to thank the present governments, from the federal to the state where we have witnessed a government of inclusiveness with the provision of the Federal University of Applied Science, a federal medical center and other social amenities that have been provided in the area.”
A major point of gratitude was directed toward President Bola Tinubu for breaking the long-standing absence of Southern Kaduna representation at the federal cabinet level. Bobai remarked:
“From 2015 to 2023, we kept on praying asking for God’s intervention especially in the security challenges in the area and the marginalization of the area. today we are thanking the Almighty for the answered prayers.”
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“I want to sincerely thank President Bola Tinubu for looking to the people of Southern Kaduna by appointing their son as Chief of Defence Staff and later approving his appointment as Minister of Defense. We pray that the Almighty will lead him in the current assignment given to him to be able to bring the security challenges of the country to the nearest minimum.”
Changes to the Southern Kaduna Festival (SKFEST)
The briefing also served to announce a strategic shift for the region’s major cultural showcase. Following a sustainability review, the event typically held in December has been rescheduled.
The Council confirmed that the Southern Kaduna Festival (SKFEST) would no longer hold in December following the recommendations of a review committee set up by the Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC) to assess the sustainability and timing of the annual cultural event.