By Adesakin Adefemi
Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso says he remains ready to forgive Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf and work with him again despite their recent political split. The former Kano governor and Kwankwasiyya leader stated that his personal affection for Yusuf has not changed.
Their relationship broke down after Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party, the platform on which he won the 2023 governorship election to the All Progressives Congress. The move angered many members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday, Kwankwaso said reconciliation is still possible. He noted that he has not rejected Yusuf but that the governor chose to leave their political camp.
“If anyone who left comes back, I won’t be unforgiving,” Kwankwaso said. “Look at Ganduje, in the many years we worked together, we fell out several times and got back together. That is how politics works.”
Kwankwaso, who has since left NNPP for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, argued that Yusuf’s victory in 2023 was only possible because of the Kwankwasiyya structure. He said the movement deliberately fielded Yusuf to test its strength.
“We picked Abba to contest under the NNPP and we won, but he left to join the people we defeated,” he said. “Some say he did so because he feared losing his position, but he knows there was no way we would have been defeated in Kano.”
The former governor stressed that Yusuf was not selected in 2023 because of seniority or education, but as part of a political experiment. He maintained that the movement could have won even without Yusuf if its base had not been strong.
Kwankwaso also spoke on the need for tolerance in politics. He said leaders must accept different opinions and embrace forgiveness to move forward.
“As a leader, you need to have an open heart,” he said. “Without forgiveness, we would not have come this far.” His comments signal that the door remains open for political realignment in Kano ahead of future elections.
