I am open to reconciling with Kano governor, says Kwankwaso

Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has indicated his openness to reconciling with the current governor, Abba Yusuf, despite their political differences. Kwankwaso, the national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, stated that his affection for his former protégé has not waned. Their relationship soured after Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), under which he won the 2023 governorship election, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This move drew significant criticism from Kwankwasiyya movement members. Speaking in an interview posted by BBC Hausa on Monday, Kwankwaso, who has since left the NNPP for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, affirmed that the door to reconciliation remains open. "I still love Abba and I didn’t reject him, he is the one who 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," Kwankwaso said. He stressed that Yusuf was the one who chose to leave their political fold and would not be turned away if he decided to return. Kwankwaso argued that Yusuf's electoral victory was a testament to the strength of the Kwankwasiyya movement. "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 the movement intentionally fielded Yusuf in 2023 to demonstrate its political influence, not because he was the most senior or educated candidate. Emphasizing the importance of tolerance in leadership, Kwankwaso advised that leaders must accept differing opinions and embrace forgiveness. "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.

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I still love Abba and I didn’t reject him, he is the one who 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.