Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai recently stirred controversy with claims that the administration of Governor Uba Sani had tanked the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR). In an interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna, El-Rufai asserted that during his tenure, which ended in May 2023, the state was raking in N6 to N7 billion monthly amounting to N72 to N84 billion annually.
He accused Sani’s government of slashing this figure to a mere N2 billion monthly (N24 billion yearly), blaming corruption and incompetence. However, data from the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) exposes these claims as false and misleading, painting a starkly different picture of the state’s financial reality.
KADIRS Data Sets the Record Straight
At a two-day annual performance review and strategic retreat held at Zeecool Hotel Barnawa Kaduna, KADIRS Executive Chairman Jerry Adams made revelations about Kaduna State’s IGR IN 2023 and 2024 different frrom El-Rufai’s narrative. Kaduna State’s IGR soared to N70 billion in 2024 a significant leap from the N62 billion recorded in 2023, the final months of Elrufai’s leadership.
This implies that Kaduna state’s generated a monthly internal revenue of N5.17 billion in 2023, increasing to N5.83 bn in 2024 not the N7 billion El-Rufai claimed he left in 2023. Adams hailed the increase as a “milestone in revenue generation,” crediting strategic policies and Governor Uba Sani’s support for the increase. KADIRS now eyes an ambitious N112 billion target for 2025, signaling confidence in sustained growth.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
El-Rufai’s claim of N6 to N7 billion monthly IGR in his final months implying an annual figure of up to N84 billion raised eyebrows when juxtaposed with official 2023 data. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) pegged Kaduna’s IGR at N62.49 billion for the full year. This suggests El-Rufai’s monthly estimates were exaggerated. By contrast, the jump to N70 billion in 2024 under Sani’s administration reflects a clear upward trajectory, directly contradicting the former governor’s tale of decline.
Political Motives Revealed
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), appears to be leveraging this narrative to discredit Sani and the APC-led government. His accusations of “massive corruption” and the unjust sacking of a competent revenue chief lack evidence and ring hollow against KADIRS’ documented success.
While El-Rufai touted his administration’s projects and investor-friendly policies, he sidestepped the hefty debt burden of over N4 billion monthly in repayments that Sani inherited. KADIRS’ ability to surpass 2023’s IGR despite this financial strain underscores effective governance, not incompetence.
El-Rufai’s attempt to cast Governor Uba Sani’s administration as a failure has crumbled under actual data. El-Rufai’s statements are not just inaccurate they’re a deliberate act to shade the current governor and APC.
