By Our Correspondent
Former Kano State Governor and 2027 presidential hopeful of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, as well as the incumbent Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, have lost their political influence in Kano State.
Kwankwaso stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday while discussing the political future of some of his former associates with whom he has fallen out.
He said political betrayal rarely produces lasting success, adding that his more than 25 years of political experience had shown that politicians who abandoned their allies often ended up in what he described as “politics of oblivion.”
On Ganduje, Kwankwaso said the former governor worked with him for several years and served as his deputy for eight years before succeeding him as governor in 2015.
He, however, said Ganduje’s political fortunes began to decline following their political disagreement.
Kwankwaso also accused Governor Abba Yusuf of distancing himself from the political structure that helped him secure the governorship.
He said the political group worked hard to secure Yusuf’s emergence as its candidate, including during the 2019 election, which the party won before the result was later annulled by the court.
According to him, the same political structure played a major role in Yusuf’s victory in the 2023 governorship election, but the governor later distanced himself from the team that supported his emergence.
Kwankwaso further alleged that Yusuf did not want to be associated with Ganduje, adding that the governor was now seeking to establish himself as a major political force in Kano.
He, however, acknowledged that Ganduje still retained some political influence in the state.
The former governor said the struggle for political dominance and succession was not peculiar to Kano, noting that similar disputes existed in different parts of the country.
Kwankwaso also disclosed that he had discussed the possibility of reconciling with Ganduje with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said he reminded the President of some of his former political associates who were once close to him but later lost their political relevance.
However, Kwankwaso said former Osun State Governor, Bisi Akande, remained one of his former political associates whom he still regarded as a friend.
He said political relationships could change, but genuine friendships could survive despite differences in political views.
