Daud Olatunji
Former Kano State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has opened the door to reconciliation with the incumbent governor of the state, Abba Kabir Yusuf, despite their prolonged political differences.
Kwankwaso said he was willing to forgive and reconcile with Yusuf if the governor was prepared to restore their relationship.
The former governor made the disclosure in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, published on Sunday, amid the political fallout that followed Yusuf’s defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Kwankwaso, who leads the Kwankwasiyya political movement, also dismissed the suggestion that he had abandoned the Kano governor, insisting that he still had affection for him.
“I didn’t abandon him, didn’t ask him to go or dismiss him, I still like him,” Kwankwaso said.
Yusuf, a long-time associate of Kwankwaso and a prominent figure in the Kwankwasiyya movement, won the 2023 Kano governorship election on the NNPP platform before subsequently defecting to the APC.
The defection strained the political relationship between the two men, who had maintained a close association for decades. Multiple reports describe Yusuf as having served as Kwankwaso’s aide for many years.
However, Kwankwaso said the political disagreement had not erased his personal feelings towards Yusuf, stressing that he was not a vindictive politician.
He said his approach to political relationships was shaped by forgiveness, patience and an understanding that people could disagree because of differences in their backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
“I’m not God. So, if Yusuf or whoever wishes to come, you need to have patience, have a large heart and compassion because not all will play along your line,” he said.
“You don’t expect everybody to act, behave or think like you do, because everyone has his way of reasoning, age, background and educational qualifications.”
Kwankwaso cited his turbulent political relationship with former Kano governor and ex-National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, as another example of his willingness to forgive political opponents.
According to him, Ganduje had challenged him politically on several occasions, including during his time at the Ministry of Defence.
“How many times did I have issues with Ganduje? He challenged me on several occasions,” Kwankwaso said.
He recalled that Ganduje was his special assistant in 2007 but alleged that meetings were subsequently held to work against him after he contested politically.
“In spite of the misgivings, I put Ganduje forward and supported him but he failed,” he said.
Kwankwaso maintained that political disagreements should not necessarily translate into permanent personal hostility, arguing that leaders must accommodate differences among their associates.
He also stressed that he does not see himself as a leader who dictates to others, saying he remains actively involved in politics rather than operating from the sidelines.
The former Kano governor further claimed that he does not demand money from politicians in exchange for endorsements or political tickets.
“We don’t ask for a dime from each of them to get our endorsement and tickets; we don’t sell our candidature,” he said.
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