Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has refuted claims by his predecessor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, that he is one of his mentees, stating that his political mentors are President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

El-Rufai, during a recent interview on Channels Television, had described Sani as one of many individuals he has mentored. “Uba Sani is one of my mentees. I developed many of them. My biggest pride in life is that I’ve elevated many people. I’ve encouraged and mentored many people to greatness. Some even greater than me, and I’m very proud of it,” El-Rufai said.

Responding on TVC on Sunday, Governor Sani chose not to engage in personal exchanges, emphasizing that his priority is delivering for the people of Kaduna State.

“I don’t think it is necessary for me to respond to that comment because for me it is something I have no time to respond to,” he said.

He went on to name President Tinubu and the late Fawehinmi as the leaders who influenced his political journey. “I have so many people that I’ve worked with in my life. Even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—I met him in 1994 at the house of Beko Ransom Kuti, and I still regard him as my leader. Chief Gani Fawehinmi is a leader, a father to me because during the era of struggle, I lived in his house,” Sani explained.

The governor reiterated that he will not be distracted by individual remarks, insisting that his administration remains focused on governance in Kaduna. “If someone is speaking about me, I will not comment. But what I can say here is that I’m focusing on Kaduna. I don’t talk about individuals, my focus is Kaduna. I don’t get distracted, my eyes are on the ball,” he stressed.

Sani previously served as El-Rufai’s political adviser between 2015 and 2019, and with El-Rufai’s support, he replaced Shehu Sani as senator for Kaduna Central ahead of the 2019 elections.