By Joyce Ekeh
Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has paid ₦2 billion in compensation to 865 property owners affected by township road projects in Zaria, Sabon Gari and Giwa, bringing the total compensation paid by his administration for public projects to more than ₦6.85 billion.
The governor presented cheques to the beneficiaries at Unguwan Iya, Zaria, in the presence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen; Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas; former Kaduna State Governor, Ramalan Yero; and other senior officials.
The payment is part of the administration’s stated policy of compensating property owners affected by public infrastructure projects before demolition, with the aim of reducing the financial hardship associated with displacement.
According to the administration, the latest payout brings relief to residents whose properties fall within the road construction corridors, giving them funds to seek alternative accommodation and make other arrangements ahead of the projects.
The payment follows an earlier disbursement of ₦2.85 billion in February 2026 for road projects across the state and another ₦2 billion paid in July 2026 to about 1,000 people affected by the Rigasa-Tudun Wada flood and erosion control project.
Speaking after receiving his cheque, one of the beneficiaries from Zaria, Malam Ibrahim Ahmed, said the payment would help affected residents make alternative arrangements.
“For the first time, government paid us before bringing down our properties. We can now find alternative accommodation without suffering. We thank Governor Uba Sani for remembering the common man,” he said.
Another beneficiary from Sabon Gari, Hajiya Fatima Suleiman, said residents had initially feared losing their homes to the road project without adequate compensation.
“We were afraid when we heard the road would pass through our houses. But today we have received our compensation in full. This is true leadership — development with human face,” she said.
Traditional rulers, community leaders and political party representatives at the event described the compensation exercise as an example of how public infrastructure projects could be accompanied by measures to address the concerns of affected residents.
ADC chieftains defect to APC
The event also witnessed the defection of prominent members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and their supporters to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State.
Among the defectors received by Governor Sani were Bashir Sa’idu, Senator Audu Kwari, Mohammed Sani Bello Mainan Zazzau, Jafaru Sani, Mukhtar Hazo, Bala Alwa’u, Nasiru Abdullahi Maikano, Lawal Buba and Ephraim Iliyasu.
The defectors attributed their decision to join the APC to what they described as the governor’s inclusive leadership, infrastructure delivery and people-oriented compensation policy.
The development could strengthen the APC’s political presence in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections, although the scale of its electoral impact remains to be seen.
