Former Kano State Governor and Kwankwasiyya leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has responded strongly to remarks made by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, insisting that political mentorship and loyalty remain part of Nigeria’s political history.
Kwankwaso, a chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, made the comments during a recent interaction with supporters, where he defended his earlier description of Governor Yusuf as someone he helped politically.
The dispute follows Governor Yusuf’s criticism of Kwankwaso over comments describing him as a “political boy,” a statement the governor said was disrespectful given their ages.
Governor Yusuf argued that being referred to as a “boy” was insulting, noting that Kwankwaso is 69 years old while he is 63, and insisted he should be addressed with respect.
However, speaking at his Miller Road residence in Kano, Kwankwaso maintained that his remarks were political and not personal, insisting that even former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje once worked under his political structure and could not deny that history.
“I heard some people say they don’t like being called boys. If not for insolence, how could even Ganduje deny that he was once my boy politically?” Kwankwaso said.
Governor Yusuf, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, recently became the first major political figure in Kano to openly challenge Kwankwaso’s dominance since their political separation earlier this year.
The governor also warned that his silence should not be mistaken for weakness, adding that he could expose more details if provoked further.
Since their fallout, Kwankwaso has repeatedly accused Yusuf of political betrayal after winning office on the platform of the All Progressives Congress-aligned political structure before later distancing himself from his former mentor’s camp.
The exchange highlights deepening tensions within Kano’s political landscape, where loyalty, mentorship, and party realignment continue to shape political alliances ahead of future elections.
