(Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Photo by Nation News)
Former Kano State Governor and national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared his willingness to forgive Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and reconcile with him despite their political differences, insisting that his affection for his former protégé remains intact.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Kwankwaso said the door to reconciliation remains open, stressing that it was Yusuf who chose to leave their political fold and that he would not turn him away should he decide to return.
“I still love Abba and I didn’t reject him, he is the one that 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,” he said.
Relations between the two politicians soured after Governor Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party, under whose platform he won the 2023 governorship election, to the ruling All Progressives Congress a move that drew sharp criticism from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Kwankwaso argued that Yusuf’s electoral victory was made possible by the strength of the movement, adding that the decision to field him in 2023 was deliberate.
“We did not choose him because he was the most senior or the most educated. We chose him because we wanted to test the strength and calibre of the Kwankwasiyya movement at that time,” he said.
He further maintained that there was no possibility of the movement losing in Kano, dismissing suggestions that Yusuf defected out of fear of losing his position.
Emphasising the importance of tolerance in leadership, Kwankwaso said leaders must remain open to 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.
