Kwankwaso Declares Shekarau, Ganduje and Abba Yusuf Politically Finished in Kano

Former Kano State Governor and 2027 vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared that former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, as well as incumbent Governor Abba Yusuf, are politically finished in Kano State.

Kwankwaso made the statement during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, while reflecting on the political fortunes of former members of his political camp who later fell out with him.

According to him, political success built on betrayal cannot be sustained, arguing that politicians who abandon their political allies eventually lose influence.

Kwankwaso specifically cited Ganduje, who served as his deputy governor for eight years before succeeding him as governor in 2015. He claimed Ganduje's political decline began after he fell out with him.

He said Ganduje would have remained more politically influential in Kano and beyond if he had continued to work within the political structure they built together.

On Governor Abba Yusuf, Kwankwaso alleged that Yusuf had also distanced himself from the political group that helped him secure the governorship.

He recalled that members of his political movement worked extensively to support Yusuf's emergence as their candidate, first in the 2019 governorship election and later in 2023, when Yusuf eventually became governor.

Kwankwaso said Yusuf's decision to distance himself from his political camp had created political difficulties for the governor.

He also alleged that Yusuf was attempting to replace him as the dominant political figure in Kano, despite Kwankwaso's continued influence in the state.

The former governor said political succession struggles were not unique to Kano, describing them as a recurring feature of Nigerian politics.

He also recalled a conversation with President Bola Tinubu in which the president reportedly asked him to reconcile with Ganduje. Kwankwaso said he responded by pointing to several former political associates of Tinubu who were no longer prominent in his political circle, including former Lagos State Deputy Governor Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele and former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

However, Kwankwaso identified former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande as one of the few political associates he still considers a friend.

He concluded that political relationships can change over time, but said the political experience in Kano was particularly distinctive.