• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has warned journalists to be cautious of self-proclaimed activists, noting that Nigeria faces threats from politicians who seek to undermine democracy when government policies do not align with their interests. Speaking on Thursday after breaking the Ramadan fast with journalists at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the governor referred to these politicians as "latter-day activists" and urged the press to remain vigilant. "Journalists fought for democracy more than any other professional group in Nigeria, and you must not allow what you sacrificed for to be truncated by anti-democratic forces," he said. Sani recalled that during the struggle for democracy, civil rights activists heavily relied on journalists, many of whom lost their freedom -- or even their lives -- while fighting for the nation's democratic ideals. "Today, Nigerians cannot talk about democracy without acknowledging journalists' contributions. That is why you must watch out for these politicians, who are merely conflict merchants," he added. The governor criticized these politicians for focusing on ethnicity and religion instead of development issues such as healthcare, education, human capital, infrastructure, unemployment, and poverty. "When campaigns begin, they will exploit divisions instead of addressing issues that affect all Nigerians, regardless of ethno-religious affiliation," he warned. Sani further recalled that many of these so-called activists were previously anti-democratic forces who supported military dictators rather than joining the pro-democracy struggle. "They were not with us during the struggle, yet today they claim to teach us about democracy," he said. He challenged journalists to question these activists about their past, asking, "What do they know about fundamental human rights, freedom, rule of law, equality and justice?" Highlighting his administration's achievements, the governor noted that before his tenure, 12 local governments in Kaduna had not seen a single kilometre of road construction in ten years. He said his administration has now delivered development across all 23 local governments in line with equity and justice. "Out of 32 secondary hospitals in Kaduna State, only five were functional when we assumed office. Today, we are renovating, equipping, and remodelling 15 of them," he said. He also cited progress in education, "We inherited about 580,000 out-of-school children in Kaduna. Today, we have reduced that number to 182,000. Together with partners such as the Kuwait Development Fund, Islamic Development Bank, UNICEF, and others, we will build an additional 102 schools." Sani emphasized that Kaduna is the only subnational state to benefit from $62.8 million in funding to address out-of-school children, attributing this to his administration's transparency. "Our focus is to leave no child outside the classroom. Education is the greatest leveller, and we must provide it to the children of the poor," he added. Source: https://authorityngr.com/2026/03/06/uba-sani-warns-journalists-against-politicians-masquerading-as-activists/