Governor Uba Sani has cautioned political actors to draw a clear line between genuine policy criticism and actions that threaten Nigeria’s unity.
During a courtesy visit by senior officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Friday, the 7th of November, 2025, the Kaduna helmsman urged Nigerians to put patriotism above partisan battles.
He stressed that some opposition figures are not just opposing policies but damaging the nation’s image in the media. He labeled such people as “anti democratic forces.”
Sani reminded them that office holders come and go, but the country remains.
‘’As a Governor, you can criticise me but when you act in a manner that will cause disaffection or tarnish the image of the country or disturb the peace of Kaduna State, you have become a merchant of conflict,’’ he argued.
Recalling his years as a rights advocate, he referenced the lessons of his mentor. He noted that “our leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory, used to warn us to distinguish between Nigeria as a country and its leaders in all our activism.”
He said many of those shouting today were invisible when democracy was being defended at great risk. According to him, some of the loudest voices in opposition were “no where to be found when we were in the trenches and fighting the military for this democracy that Nigeria is now enjoying.”
Sani also accused privileged elites of stoking insecurity for personal interest.
He warned them not to use influence “to undermine the security of the underserved because most of them have no real stake in the country.’’
He added that “If anything happens, these people in the GRAs whose families are abroad, will just leave the country and allow the poor and vulnerable to bear the consequences of their actions.”
The Governor condemned situations where wealthy politicians send poor youths to the streets while keeping their own children safe in foreign countries. According to him, such actions show a lack of loyalty to the nation.
He said some elites live peacefully in exclusive areas but still weaponise religion for political profit. “The elites in GRAs are living together in peace, irrespective of ethno-religious differences but some of them use religion for political gains. They don’t even care putting the life of the common man at risk and for me this is really unfortunate,” he said.
He branded them “insecurity merchants” and insisted that security should not be an area for political games.
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Sani reaffirmed his commitment to a united Kaduna.
He stated that politicians will fail if they attempt to divide citizens using faith. He told religious leaders that Muslims and Christians are destined to coexist in the state.
He maintained that character not faith guides his judgement. “As a Governor, the last thing you will ask me to do, is to judge people on the basis of their religion. I don’t look at you from the lenses of religion, it is your character that I care about and not your religion,” he argued.
Governor Sani applauded security chiefs, including the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the heads of security agencies, and the Director General of the DSS, Mr Adeola Ajayi, for the work they are doing to confront insecurity nationwide.