‘I Still Love Governor Yusuf, I Didn’t Reject Him’ – Kwankwaso Speaks On Possible Reconciliation

Former Kano State governor and national leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said that he remainined open to reconciliation with his estranged political godson, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, noting that despite recent political disagreements, his goodwill toward his former protege has not changed.

The rift between the two politicians emerged after Yusuf left the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), on which platform he secured victory in the 2023 governorship election, to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a development that drew strong reactions from members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

In an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Monday, Kwankwaso, who also recently moved from the NNPP to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said he was still willing to mend fences, stressing that reconciliation remained possible at any time.

According to him, Governor Yusuf was the one who exited their political camp, adding that he would not hesitate to welcome him back if he chooses to return.

“I still love Abba and I didn’t reject him, he is the one that left. So, not just Abba, if anyone who left comes back, I won’t be unforgiving. Look at Ganduje, in the many years we worked together, we fell out several times and got back together. That is how politics works,” he said.

Kwankwaso maintained that Yusuf’s emergence as governor was largely driven by the strength of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, which backed his candidacy in 2023.

“We picked Abba to contest under the NNPP and we won, but he left to join the people we defeated. 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. If that were the case, we would have lost when he contested under our party,” he stated.

He further explained that Governor Yusuf was selected as the party’s flagbearer in 2023 not based on hierarchy or academic standing, but as a deliberate political test of the Movement’s influence at the time.

“We did not choose him because he was the most senior or the most educated. We chose him because we wanted to test the strength and calibre of the Kwankwasiyya Movement at that time,” he said.

Reiterating his belief in tolerance and forgiveness, Kwankwaso urged politicians to accommodate differing views and maintain open-mindedness in their dealings.

“As a leader, you need to have an open heart. You cannot force people to think the way you do because we all come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives. Without forgiveness, we would not have come this far,” he added.