BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United-Associations (SOKAPU) has disowned the organizers of the Southern Kaduna Festival (SKFEST), describing the events held in 2023 and 2024, and the proposed 2026 edition, as part of an alleged scam.
The organisation also issued a strong warning to government officials, traditional leaders, and the general public to exercise caution and disregard any representations by the festival’s organizers claiming to act on behalf of SOKAPU.
The National President, Engr. Tabara Samuel Kato in a statement on Monday emphasized that it remains the sole umbrella socio-cultural organization of the Southern Kaduna people.
The president clarified that SOKAPU never sanctioned, organized, or participated in SKFEST.
Kato identified the Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC), led by Elder Dary Akau, as the group falsely presenting itself as a legitimate representative of Southern Kaduna people.
According to Kato, the SKLC operates through a registered NGO known as Southern Kaduna Autochthones Community Development Associations (SOKACDA) and has been exploiting SOKAPU’s Community Development Associations (CDAs) to run parallel activities.
He further explained that the SKLC formed the SKFEST Committee, staging events in 2023 and 2024 with organizers listed as SKLC, CDAs-Forum, and misleadingly, SOKAPU.
“The inclusion of SOKAPU’s name was limited to a few renegade members of its National Executive Committee who joined the festival without organizational approval”.
He accused the SKLC and SOKACDA/CDAs-Forum of evading accountability, using SKFEST as a platform to raise funds for personal and political interests, and attempting to supplant SOKAPU as the legitimate body representing Southern Kaduna people.
Highlighting alleged financial irregularities, the president noted the absence of audit evidence to support the claimed revenues and expenditures of the 2024 festival. It further stated that only SOKAPU has the constitutional authority to confer legitimacy or authorize anyone to represent Southern Kaduna people.
Engr. Kato warned that anyone recognizing Elder Dary Akau, Dr. Samuel Achie, or Radm. Ferguson Bobai (Rtd.) as acting on behalf of the Southern Kaduna people is complicit in a coup against SOKAPU and does so at their own risk.
“Going forward, SOKAPU remains the only umbrella organization of the Southern Kaduna people with the irrevocable mandate to speak, act, and represent the Southern Kaduna people. All efforts to lead the Southern Kaduna people must go through proper SOKAPU elections, not backdoor schemes orchestrated by renegade groups.”
The warning underscores ongoing tensions between SOKAPU and the SKLC over legitimacy, authority, and financial accountability.
SOKAPU called on all stakeholders to prioritize unity, peace, and transparency in advancing the welfare of Southern Kaduna people.
