Tinubu now commands more support in Kaduna than during El-Rufai’s tenure – Gov Sule

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has stated that President Bola Tinubu is currently more popular in Kaduna State than he was during the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Speaking during a live interview on a national television programme, Governor Sule pushed back against recent remarks made by El-Rufai, who had suggested that the president’s standing in the North was weakening.

Contrary to that assertion, Sule argued that the political landscape in Kaduna tells a different story.

“President Tinubu has more support today in the same Kaduna State where El-Rufai comes from than he used to have when El-Rufai was the governor. After all, President Tinubu got only 300,000 and something votes when El-Rufai was the governor. He lost Kaduna at that time,” Sule said.

The governor credited the improved support to the leadership of the current Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, highlighting that sentiments have shifted, especially in Southern Kaduna.

“If you look at Southern Kaduna, and even from my local government in Nasarawa State, which shares a boundary with some parts of Kaduna, I know what the people say about President Tinubu today. The support is stronger under Governor Uba Sani than it was under Nasir El-Rufai,” he added.

Sule shared his firsthand observations from traveling by road through Kaduna, saying the experience offered him a direct connection with constituents.

“That’s why I sometimes go by road—to stop, interact, and understand what people are really saying,” he said.

A prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sule also spoke about the dangers of political misinformation, urging Nigerians to look beyond political narratives.

“Politicians can say whatever they want to say. But the reality is that President Tinubu today has more support in Kaduna than in 2023, when he (El-Rufai) lost the election there by over 300,000 votes to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” he stressed.

On the issue of insecurity, Sule reiterated his support for the creation of state police, emphasizing the limitations of the current community-based security arrangements.
“We have Amotekun (in the Southwest), Katsina Marshals, Sokoto Marshals, Zamfara Marshals, and other vigilantes. But they lack proper training and the right equipment. You cannot expect results when your security personnel carry Dane guns and face criminals armed with AK-47s and automatic machine guns,” the governor said.

He argued that a structured and well-supervised state police force would enhance security and accountability.

“We’re not saying state police should be totally independent. They’ll be trained by the same national institutions. But the key is that they will be recruited from their own communities and they understand the terrain better,” he added.

Sule explained that deploying locally sourced officers would ensure stronger community trust and faster response times.
“If I employ someone in Keffi, he’s not going to work in Lafia or Akwanga. He’ll work in Keffi, where he understands the area, the people, and the issues. That’s what we need for effective security,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that a functional state police system would reduce violent crime in the near term.

“These criminals are also afraid for their lives. If they know the person facing them is well-trained and armed, they’ll think twice. So, yes, state police will reduce kidnappings and insecurity significantly,” Sule said.