Placing Mustapha In Succession Line

Former governor of Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso, just picked his son, Mustapha, to be the running mate of Aminu Abdulsalam, the governorship candidate of the NDC.

The family of Abdullahi Ganduje is probably chewing on their hands that Aminu Sule Garo has already been picked to replace Abdussalam as deputy governor, who resigned in support of Kwankwaso in the NDC.

Kwankwaso, a former Minister of Defence and member of the House of Representatives, is the latest former governor to try to create an opening for his son to become deputy governor or governor and, in the process, build an enduring political legacy.

Mustapha, who only recently stepped down as a cabinet commissioner under Governor Abba Yusuf, is following in the footsteps of Mahdi Mohammed, the son of Aliyu Gusau, a former NSA and Chief of Army Staff.

Mahdi served as deputy governor of Zamfara and refused to join Governor Bello Matawalle when he switched political parties. Instead, Mahdi made a pitch to become governor.

Murtala Nyako, a former military governor of Niger State and elected governor of Adamawa, also sought to entrench his family in Adamawa by building a dynasty.

His attempt to get his son, Abdulaziz, elected governor failed, even though the younger Nyako had earlier been elected senator. Murtala Nyako’s arch-rival and former governor of the old Gongola, Bamanga Tukur, was also unsuccessful in getting his son Auwal to become governor.

The same can be said about former Jigawa governor and Foreign Affairs Minister, Sule Lamido. He succeeded in handing the party’s 2023 governorship ticket to his son, Mustapha, but couldn’t get him over the finish line at the election. They are trying again in 2027.

There are success stories. Former military governor of Kano, Sani Bello, from behind the scenes, lobbied, spent money and helped get his son, Abu Bello, elected as governor of Niger.

Then there is the late strong man of Kwara politics, Olusola Saraki, who was never governor but has come closest to building a political dynasty.

He successfully installed his son, Bukola, as governor, only for Bukola to push him aside and take on the role of godfather of Kwara politics.

In Kano, for Kwankwaso to stand any chance of building a political dynasty, he first has to defeat his onetime protege, Abba Yusuf, at the polls. Then he has to pray that Aminu Abdussalam doesn’t turn on him, should he become governor.