Usman Ahmed
By every serious political measure, the unanimous affirmation of Governor Uba Sani by all registered members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State as the party’s consensus gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 election was not merely symbolic; it was historic, emphatic, and profoundly earned.
At a time when Nigerian politics is increasingly defined by factional intrigue, bruising primaries, and elite rivalries, the seamless endorsement of Governor Sani stands out as a rare political moment shaped not by coercion or spectacle, but by performance, restraint, inclusion, and steady leadership under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
When Senator Uba Sani assumed office on May 29, 2023, Kaduna State stood at a delicate crossroads. The state was weighed down by crippling debt obligations, rising insecurity, economic uncertainty, social fragmentation, and declining public trust. Vast rural communities were trapped by fear. Farmers abandoned their lands. Schools and markets shut down. Public finance had become dangerously strained.
At that difficult moment, many expected excuses and political blame-shifting. Instead, Uba Sani chose responsibility and reconciliation. “We chose dialogue over division. Inclusion over exclusion. Compassion over bitterness. Service over propaganda,” the governor declared in his acceptance speech following his emergence as APC flag bearer.
Those words have since evolved into the moral architecture of his administration.
Faced with near-fiscal distress, the easier political path would have been fresh borrowing and populist spending. Yet Governor Uba Sani embraced prudence, institutional reform, transparency, and disciplined governance. Through aggressive revenue mobilisation, tighter fiscal management, and structural reforms, Kaduna gradually moved from financial fragility toward stability and renewed confidence.
The administration recently disclosed that over N90 billion of inherited debts had been repaid without contracting fresh loans. In Nigeria’s political climate, where borrowing often substitutes for innovation, such restraint represented uncommon discipline and political courage.
Equally transformative has been the restoration of public confidence in Kaduna’s financial management architecture. Under Uba Sani, transparency and accountability ceased to be campaign rhetoric and became measurable governance principles. For two consecutive years, Kaduna emerged as Nigeria’s most transparent and accountable state under the Transparency and Integrity Index supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
“Our administration has prioritised transparency and accountability as pillars of sustainable development,” the governor repeatedly affirmed. Open procurement systems were strengthened. Citizen engagement expanded. Fiscal transparency deepened. Governance became increasingly participatory and institution-driven.
Yet perhaps the most consequential aspect of Uba Sani’s leadership has been his deliberate effort to govern through inclusion rather than division. When he assumed office, Kaduna remained burdened by painful ethno-religious tensions and political polarisation. Rather than weaponise those divisions, he consciously pursued reconciliation, dialogue, and consensus-building.
“My dear people, Kaduna State belongs to all of us,” he declared. “Our diversity is not a weakness; it is our greatest strength.”
That message has resonated deeply across Kaduna’s complex social and political landscape. Christians and Muslims increasingly view government through the lens of fairness rather than sectarian suspicion. Communities once alienated from governance now feel a stronger sense of belonging. Trust, though gradually, is returning.
“No political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen,” the governor stated pointedly. “No election is worth destroying the peace of our communities.”
Those are not empty political phrases. They reflect a governing philosophy carefully designed to reduce tensions and rebuild social trust.
The results are increasingly visible. Kaduna has witnessed measurable improvements in security and peaceful coexistence. Through strategic collaboration with security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community stakeholders, intelligence gathering improved, peace-building initiatives expanded, and critical transport corridors became safer.
But beyond conventional enforcement, Uba Sani embraced a broader peace-building framework now widely described as the Kaduna Peace Model.
“We understood clearly that sustainable peace cannot be built through force alone,” he explained. “Peace must rest on justice, fairness, opportunity, and mutual respect.”
That philosophy informed the establishment of the Kaduna State Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Committee, now serving as a practical mechanism for rehabilitation, reconciliation, and reintegration.
Communities once paralysed by fear are rediscovering hope. Farmers are returning to their lands. Markets are thriving again. Schools once shut by insecurity have reopened.
“Kaduna State is witnessing a quiet but profound transformation,” the governor observed recently.
International partners have taken notice. The United Kingdom moved Kaduna from “red” to “amber” in its travel advisory classification, citing improvements in governance and security. Kaduna subsequently emerged as host of the UK-supported Strengthening Peace, Resilience and Inclusive Governance Programme.
Beyond peace-building, Uba Sani has fundamentally repositioned agriculture at the centre of Kaduna’s development vision.
When he assumed office, agriculture received barely N1.48 billion, representing only 0.4 per cent of the state budget. Today, the sector receives over N74 billion, representing about 14 per cent of the state’s total budget, surpassing the Malabo Declaration benchmark.
Through the Tallafin Noma programme, more than 69,000 smallholder farmers have received improved seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, and mechanisation support. The administration also executed the largest fertiliser distribution programme in Kaduna’s history, distributing over 900 trucks of fertiliser to 300,000 farmers across all 23 local government areas.
“Our philosophy is straightforward,” the governor said. “Agriculture must be continuous, not seasonal; inclusive, not selective.”
More than 4,000 solar-powered water pumping machines have also been distributed to support irrigation and dry-season farming, while livestock farmers have benefited from cooperative-driven interventions spanning the entire state.
Critically, Uba Sani’s agricultural reforms extend beyond cultivation into agro-industrialisation. Through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone initiative, Kaduna is positioning itself as a major processing and export hub for crops such as maize, ginger, tomatoes, and soybeans.
A similarly ambitious transformation is unfolding in education. Through deliberate planning and targeted interventions, Kaduna reduced the number of out-of-school children from approximately 550,000 to 187,720 within two years. More than 25 per cent of the state budget is consistently allocated to education, surpassing international benchmarks.
“We understand clearly that the future of Kaduna State depends on the quality of opportunities available to our youth today,” the governor stated.
Under his administration, 62 new secondary schools have been completed while additional schools remain under construction. Hundreds of classrooms have been built and renovated. Thousands of teachers have been recruited and trained.
Vocational and technical education has received particularly strong attention. The Institutes of Vocational Training and Skills Development established in Rigachikun, Samaru Kataf, and Soba now rank among Nigeria’s best-equipped technical training centres.
Thousands of young people are receiving training in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, welding, information technology, and advanced technical skills.
Meanwhile, the modernisation of Panteka Market, widely regarded as Africa’s largest informal vocational hub, reflects an administration deeply conscious of the relationship between skills, dignity, productivity, and economic empowerment.
Healthcare reforms have also expanded significantly. Through the Kaduna State Mental Health Law and strategic partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the administration shifted from an enforcement-driven response to substance abuse toward a more humane public health model. “We are building systems that place human dignity at the centre of governance,” the governor explained during the visit of the UNODC Country Representative to Nigeria.
Mental health services have expanded across the state, while Adolescent Wellness Centres now provide psychosocial support and substance abuse services integrated into the healthcare system.
The administration’s social welfare interventions have equally reflected its people-centred orientation. Billions of naira have been paid in pensions, gratuities, and death benefits. The Free CNG Bus Service has reduced transportation burdens for millions of residents, while the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit project, Kaduna Connect, signals a broader urban transformation agenda.
“Kaduna Connect is a statement of intent,” Governor Uba Sani declared. “It reflects our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and shared prosperity.”
Perhaps what makes Uba Sani’s leadership especially compelling is the consistency of its moral centre. Whether discussing security, agriculture, education, healthcare, or politics, his message remains remarkably steady: governance must restore dignity, expand opportunity, and strengthen social trust.
That consistency explains why his unanimous emergence as APC gubernatorial candidate for 2027 carries significance far beyond party politics. It reflects broad public confidence in a leader who has governed with restraint during tension, humility during triumph, and compassion during hardship.
“I therefore accept this nomination not as a personal triumph,” he said, “but as a renewed covenant with the people of Kaduna State.”
That covenant; to govern inclusively, listen attentively, and place the people first, increasingly defines the emotional connection many citizens now feel toward his administration.
In Uba Sani, many residents see not merely a politician, but a stabilising statesman; not merely a governor, but a bridge-builder determined to heal old wounds while preparing Kaduna for a more peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive future.
The unanimous endorsement by the APC was therefore neither accidental nor transactional. It was the natural consequence of leadership that has combined prudence with compassion, discipline with inclusion, and politics with humanity.
For Governor Sani, it was truly a resounding and deserving endorsement.
Ahmed, a freelance journalist, resides in Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna.
