Bomba Dauda
Former spokesperson to ex-Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State, Mr. Reuben Buhari, has accused Mr. Muyiwa Adeleke — former media aide to Mallam Nasir el-Rufai — of peddling falsehood in his recent response to Prof. Chidi Odinkalu’s commentary on the controversial restructuring of chiefdoms in the state.
In a strongly worded rebuttal released on Wednesday, Buhari described Adeleke’s claim — that chiefdoms such as the Adara had themselves requested a change in their chieftaincy structures — as “a lie,” and presented official documents to support his position.
“Muyiwa is a liar. Let me prove it,” Buhari stated, referencing official government correspondence dating back to 2017 which, he argues, demonstrates that the restructuring of traditional institutions under the el-Rufai administration was a top-down decision without proper stakeholder consultation.
Buhari cited a letter dated June 20, 2017 (Ref. No. SSG/KDS/508), signed by Abdullahi Sani on behalf of the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government. The letter announced the appointment of a 13-member committee tasked with reviewing the existing chieftaincy system in the state.
Among the terms of reference, the committee was mandated to:
Examine the nomenclature of graded chiefs which emphasized ethnic identity;
Propose new titles based on town or location;
Study historical and cultural peculiarities for possible regrouping of chiefdoms and emirates.
A follow-up circular dated July 24, 2017, from a Sub-Committee on Nomenclature, requested traditional rulers to suggest alternative names for their chiefdoms, with a submission deadline of July 31 — giving barely a few days for feedback on what Buhari described as a matter of significant cultural and political weight.
“No community development association or stakeholder was invited to make submissions. Chiefs were served letters on July 27 or 28, and expected to respond by July 31. This was a pre-determined process,” Buhari said.
He further alleged that the committee’s intention was never to “restore the esteem of traditional institutions” as claimed, but to impose changes that aligned with the former governor’s political agenda.
“So, Muyiwa, in what way did the chiefdoms request that their names be changed?” Buhari asked rhetorically. “Liar kawai (just a liar)!”
The Adara Chiefdom, among others, was controversially split and renamed during the el-Rufai administration, sparking long-standing tensions and protests from ethnic and community leaders in Southern Kaduna.
Neither Mr. Muyiwa Adeleke nor the Kaduna State Government has responded publicly to Buhari’s latest claims as of press time.
