Uba Sani Says He Influenced Christopher Musa’s Appointment As Defence Minister

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said he played a role in the appointment of retired General Christopher Musa as Minister of Defence by President Bola Tinubu. Sani made the disclosure during an interview on Trust TV’s *Daily Politics* on Tuesday, explaining that his continued support for Tinubu was based on what he described as benefits secured for Kaduna State.

Governor Highlights Federal Appointments

The governor cited Musa’s appointment, alongside those of Environment Minister Balarabe Abbas Lawal and National Sports Commission Chairman Shehu Dikko, as examples of Kaduna State’s representation at the federal level. He said his support for Tinubu was driven by the state’s interests rather than personal favours.

Four University Projects Approved

Sani said he had approached Tinubu to request two additional federal universities for Kaduna, arguing that the state’s educational importance in Northern Nigeria justified more higher institutions. According to the governor, four university projects were subsequently approved: the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, the Federal University of Education in Zaria, the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University of Petroleum Resources in Rigachikun, and the conversion of Kaduna Polytechnic into a Federal University of Technology.

Road And Transport Projects Cited

The governor also highlighted federal road projects, including the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road, which he said had been abandoned for about 45 years. He added that reconstruction had been approved following his appeal to the President. He further cited work on the 81-kilometre Zaria-Soba-Pambegua road and approval of the Jama’a-Wai-Jere road. On transportation, Sani said he persuaded Tinubu to include Kaduna in the proposed light rail programme alongside Lagos and Kano. He put the funding released for a 50-kilometre rail corridor linking Rigachikun and Sabon Tasha at $865 million. He also said federal support enabled his administration to increase its planned purchase of compressed natural gas buses from 50 to 100. According to Sani, the 100 buses recorded 5.2 million passenger trips within 18 months and helped commuters save approximately ₦5 billion in transportation costs. The governor maintained that federal appointments, university projects, road construction and transportation initiatives were among the reasons for his continued support for Tinubu.