Religious leaders in Kaduna State have commended Governor Uba Sani’s inclusive leadership and commitment to fairness, justice and peaceful coexistence, urging residents to support his administration’s efforts to sustain the progress recorded in the state.
The clerics, comprising Muslim and Christian leaders, spoke at a Special Interfaith Dialogue organised by the Kaduna State Bureau of Interfaith at the Brigadier Abba Kyari Banquet Hall on Monday. They said Kaduna had witnessed relative peace and improved relations between Muslims and Christians since Governor Sani assumed office in 2023.
The religious leaders also commended the administration’s achievements in education, infrastructure, agriculture and security, with some of them openly canvassing support for the governor’s re-election to enable him consolidate on what they described as his achievements.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sani said his administration’s governance model was anchored on justice, fairness and inclusiveness, stressing that every resident of Kaduna State deserved to be treated equally irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliation.
“People have been asking me about our model. Our model is very simple. It does not need any study. It is about justice. It is about bringing everyone to the table,” the governor said, recalling that he inherited a deeply divided state when he assumed office in 2023.
Sani said it was unacceptable for residents to refuse to live or develop property in certain areas because of their religious faith, stressing that Kaduna, as one of Nigeria’s most diverse and cosmopolitan states, should serve as a model of peaceful coexistence for the rest of the country.
The governor said he swore by the Glorious Qur’an on May 29, 2023, to govern fairly and justly, irrespective of the ethnic or religious backgrounds of the people, adding that his administration remained determined to restore the glory of Kaduna State.
Also speaking, the Kaduna State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Caleb Ma’aji, said the governor had recorded significant achievements, recalling that he requested three major roads during the 2024 Christmas Carol attended by the governor.
Ma’aji listed the roads as Nasarawa-UNTL-First Bank, PAN Drive-Television Garage-Sabon Tasha and Romi-Karatudu roads, saying two had been completed while work on the third was nearing completion. He also commended Sani for reintroducing Christian pilgrimage to Jordan and Jerusalem and sponsoring 50 Christians for the pilgrimage.
The CAN chairman further expressed appreciation for the governor’s choice of Jerry Adams as his running mate for the forthcoming election, describing it as a departure from the old political culture. He urged the governor to sustain the inclusive approach to governance.
The Secretary-General of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Prof. Khalid Aliyu, described Sani as a peacemaker, saying the theme of the dialogue, “An Overview of the Impactful Three Years of Peaceful Coexistence and Inclusivity in Kaduna State: Unveiling the Secret,” was consistent with the International Day of Peace.
Similarly, Sheikh Haliru Maraya and the National Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop David Bakare, praised the administration’s record in education, security and development. Maraya cited the reduction of tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions and the reopening of schools and farmlands previously affected by insecurity, while Bakare said he did not vote for Sani in 2023 but had since changed his view based on the governor’s performance, declaring that he would support him in the forthcoming election.
