ADC Candidate Ashiru Links El-Rufai's Policies to Insecurity

Hon. Isa Ashiru, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, claimed that the extensive removal of traditional rulers by former Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai led to increased insecurity in Kaduna. During an interview on Trust TV on October 27, 2026, Ashiru explained that the elimination of numerous village and district heads resulted in significant areas lacking local oversight and intelligence gathering.

El-Rufai's administration enacted the Traditional Institutions Law No. 21 of 2021, which reversed the traditional structure to the pre-2001 configuration, removing 313 district heads and 4,453 village heads appointed under former Governor Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi. Ashiru argued that these changes disrupted a vital intelligence link between grassroots communities and state security councils, leaving many areas ungoverned and susceptible to crime.

He pledged that, if elected, he would restore traditional rulers, provide operational vehicles for security agencies, and utilize Artificial Intelligence tools to combat sophisticated criminal activities, including kidnapping for ransom.