Northern CAN chairman criticises el-Rufai over southern Kaduna population remarks
John Hayab, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has criticised Nasir el-Rufai over his recent remark on the population strength of southern Kaduna.
During an interview on Channels Television on Sunday evening, el-Rufai claimed that southern Kaduna accounted for less than 25 percent of the state’s population.
The former governor of Kaduna insisted he had no regrets over his policies and actions toward the region during his eight-year tenure.
However, reacting on Monday, Hayab, who served as Kaduna CAN chairman during el-Rufai’s administration, described the former governor’s remarks as “dangerous, divisive, and evidence of deep-seated hatred” for southern Kaduna.
He stated that El-Rufai’s remarks were consistent with his history of promoting policies that undermined peace and unity in the state.
“Everything El-Rufai promotes is evil,” he said, accusing the ex-governor of deliberately pursuing an agenda that marginalised southern Kaduna communities.
The cleric recalled that during a past national census exercise, southern Kaduna’s strong numbers sparked a threat of legal action by the state’s shariah committee against the National Population Commission (NPC).
He said the fact showed the region’s population could not be dismissed.
Hayab explained that many southern Kaduna families are led by clergies who do not practise polygamy, noting that households with 15 to 23 children are not uncommon in the area.
He stressed that such realities prove the region’s population is “robust and can never be written off.”
He alleged that demographic distortions in Kaduna stem from deliberate inflation of figures in other parts of the state, not from any shortage of people in southern Kaduna.
The CAN leader expressed disappointment about how el-Rufai openly boasted of having no regrets for his policies against the region.
Hayab said a stance like el-Rufai’s exposed the former governor’s disdain for the people he once governed.
He also dismissed el-Rufai’s claim that only those who do not know him describe him as a religious fundamentalist.
“I knew him personally and I speak from the painful experiences endured under his government,” he said.
According to him, the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Kaduna stands in contrast to the hostility that characterised el-Rufai’s rule
“This peace explains why El-Rufai appears bitter and angry, because harmony among the people weakens the divisive agenda he thrived on,” he said.
The CAN chairman also called for the inclusion of religion and ethnicity in future census exercises to check manipulation of population figures by political leaders.
Hayab urged Nigerians to resist divisive narratives and instead embrace fairness, justice and inclusivity in political representation and demographic planning.
“Our nation’s unity can only be strengthened when all citizens are treated with dignity and truth is not sacrificed for political convenience,” he added.
