Former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reaffirmed that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje remain his political protégés despite growing political tension in the state.
Kwankwaso stated this on Wednesday while addressing supporters of the Kwankwasiyya movement at his Miller Road residence in Kano.
The former governor appeared to be reacting to recent comments allegedly linked to Governor Yusuf, who reportedly questioned why an older politician would still describe another senior politician as “his boy.”
Speaking before a large crowd of supporters, Kwankwaso jokingly referenced the controversy, saying some individuals were no longer comfortable being identified as his political protégés.
“I was made to understand that a few don’t want to be referred to as my boy,” he said, drawing laughter from members of the audience.
The former presidential candidate, however, spoke more firmly in Hausa, insisting that both Yusuf and Ganduje rose politically under his guidance and mentorship.
“If it is not out of disrespect, will Abba Kabir Yusuf say he is not my political son? If it is not out of disrespect, will Abdullahi Umar Ganduje say he is not my political son?” he asked.
His remarks were greeted with applause and cheers from supporters at the gathering.
Kwankwaso’s comments come amid renewed political rivalry and realignments within Kano’s political landscape ahead of future electoral contests.
Ganduje, who served as Kwankwaso’s deputy before succeeding him as governor, had previously acknowledged their long political relationship but rejected suggestions that he was politically subordinate to the former governor.
Speaking in an earlier interview with the BBC, Ganduje explained that he was invited to serve as deputy governor after losing in the party’s primary election, adding that their continued political alliance during the second tenure was based on mutual understanding.
