KANO — Former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said his political differences with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf have not diminished his personal affection for him, expressing willingness to reconcile with the governor.
Kwankwaso stated this in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored in Kano, saying he remained open to restoring their relationship if Yusuf was prepared to return to the political movement from which he departed.
The statement comes amid fresh political realignments in Kano following Yusuf’s defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Kwankwaso has aligned with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Kwankwaso, who played a major role in Yusuf’s emergence as the NNPP governorship candidate in the 2023 election, said he never rejected or abandoned the governor.
“I still love Abba and I didn’t reject him; he is the one who left. Not just Abba, if anyone who left comes back, I won’t be unforgiving,” he said.
Yusuf’s defection to the APC has deepened the political differences between the two men, who had previously worked together under the NNPP platform.
However, Kwankwaso said political disagreements should not permanently destroy relationships, stressing that leaders must learn to accommodate differences and respect individual choices.
“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,” he said.
The former governor also cited his relationship with former Kano Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as an example of how political disagreements can eventually give way to reconciliation.
According to him, he and Ganduje had experienced several periods of political disagreement but later reconciled, adding that forgiveness remained important in managing political relationships.
“Look at Ganduje; over many years we fell out several times and got back together. That is how politics works,” Kwankwaso said.
He maintained that he was not a vindictive leader and would rather leave room for reconciliation, noting that political relationships could change as circumstances and individual choices evolved.
Kwankwaso further said political followers and leaders should not be expected to think alike, given differences in their backgrounds, upbringing, age and education.
He stressed that leadership should not be about dictating choices to others, but about accommodating differences while maintaining room for dialogue and reconciliation.
