Babachir, others defend Musa as El-Rufai remarks generate controversy

‎Mixed reactions have continued to trail the comments made by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), against former Kaduna State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Nasir El-Rufai.
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‎News reported that Musa, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, accused El-Rufai of policies and actions that allegedly deepened divisions and insecurity in Kaduna State during his administration from 2015 to 2023.
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‎According to Musa, “El-Rufai did a lot of terrible things in Kaduna State. He divided the state into two. In that, if you are from the south, you cannot go to the north to live.”
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‎The remarks have since generated mixed reactions among Nigerians on social media.
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‎A teacher, Nura Bako Zango, questioned the minister’s allegations and challenged him to address what he described as historical realities surrounding violence in Kaduna State.
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‎Zango argued that communal clashes and religious conflicts predated El-Rufai’s administration, citing the 2011 post-election violence and the 1992 Zangon Kataf crisis. He maintained that important historical questions must be answered before placing responsibility solely on the former governor.
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‎Similarly, Abdulmatin Muhammed Jibril, writing on Facebook, challenged Musa to provide evidence supporting his allegations.
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‎“As a general of the Nigerian Army, what efforts did you make to protect your people from him? Show us just one piece of evidence of you speaking up,” he wrote.
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‎Another commentator, Ibrahim Idris Muazzam, described the minister’s remarks as unfortunate, insisting that El-Rufai governed Kaduna State fairly and without discrimination.
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‎Sani Ahmed also dismissed the allegations, arguing that Kaduna’s ethnic and religious divisions existed long before El-Rufai became governor.
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‎However, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, defended the Defence Minister, saying the experiences of the people of Southern Kaduna under El-Rufai’s administration could not be dismissed.
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‎Lawal stated that while El-Rufai’s supporters were entitled to defend him, such views did not erase the grievances and experiences of many Southern Kaduna residents.
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‎Drawing a controversial comparison, Lawal said Southern Kaduna people viewed El-Rufai in the same way Jews view Adolf Hitler, adding that the current administration under Governor Uba Sani was working to heal old wounds.
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‎Meanwhile, Victor Mathew Bobai, Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs to Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, urged Nigerians to focus on the substance of the minister’s claims rather than assumptions about his political motives.
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‎Bobai said Musa’s comments should be seen as part of democratic discourse and not as an official military directive.
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‎“We must distinguish between an official directive and a political opinion. General Musa did not issue a military order, announce a defence policy, or instruct the Armed Forces to support any political party. He participated in a public conversation and expressed his assessment of the political environment,” he said.