Former Kano State Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed his willingness to reconcile with the incumbent Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, saying he still has affection for his former political ally.
Kwankwaso made the disclosure during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), as he addressed the strained relationship between himself and Governor Yusuf.
Yusuf, who was elected governor of Kano State in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), had been a prominent member and supporter of the Kwankwasiyya political movement associated with Kwankwaso.
However, the relationship between the two politicians deteriorated after Yusuf moved politically toward the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aligned himself with former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who has long been regarded as one of Kwankwaso’s major political rivals in the state.
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Despite the political differences, Kwankwaso said he remained open to reconciliation.
“I didn’t abandon him, didn’t ask him to go or dismiss him, I still like him,” he said.
The former governor also described himself as a forgiving person, saying he had no habit of seeking revenge against people who had wronged him.
He cited his relationship with Ganduje as an example, recalling several political disagreements between them over the years.
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“How many times did I have issues with Ganduje? He challenged me on several occasions,” Kwankwaso said.
He recalled that in 2007, while they were at the Ministry of Defence, Ganduje, who was then his Special Assistant, was involved with others in efforts to undermine him politically.
“In 2007, when we were in the Ministry of Defence, he was my Special Assistant (SA), but they held meetings to bring me down because I contested with them,” he said.
Kwankwaso said that despite their disagreements, he later supported Ganduje politically.
“In spite of the misgivings, I put Ganduje forward and supported him but he failed,” he added.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate further said that political leadership requires patience, understanding and the ability to accommodate people with different backgrounds, experiences and opinions.
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According to him, leaders should not expect everyone around them to think or behave exactly as they do.
“I’m not God. So, if Yusuf or whoever wishes to come, you need to have patience, have a large heart and compassion because not all will play along your line,” Kwankwaso said.
“You don’t expect everybody to act, behave or think like you do, because everyone has his way of reasoning, age, background and educational qualifications.”
He maintained that his willingness to forgive political opponents was not limited to Ganduje but also extended to Yusuf.
“So, if I’m not forgiving, we will not put Ganduje forward; the situation is the same with Yusuf,” he said.
Kwankwaso also rejected the suggestion that political endorsements within his camp were influenced by financial considerations.
“We don’t ask for a dime from each of them to get our endorsement and tickets; we don’t sell our candidature,” he said.
His comments come amid continuing political realignments in Kano and renewed attention to the relationship between Kwankwaso and Yusuf, two figures who were previously closely associated through the Kwankwasiyya political movement.
