I still love Gov Yusuf, he’ll be welcome back — Kwankwaso

Former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has expressed his willingness to reconcile with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf despite their political differences, saying he still holds affection for his former ally.

Speaking during an interview with BBC Hausa, Kwankwaso said the door remains open for reconciliation, stressing that Yusuf was the one who chose to leave their political fold and would be welcomed back if he decides to return.

“I still love Abba, and I never rejected him. He was the one who left. Not only Abba, anyone who leaves and decides to return will be welcomed. I am not someone who holds grudges. Look at Ganduje; throughout the years we worked together, we fell out several times and later reconciled. That is politics,” he said.

The relationship between the two politicians deteriorated after Governor Yusuf left the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), under whose platform he won the 2023 governorship election, for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that drew criticism from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

Kwankwaso maintained that Yusuf’s emergence as governor was largely due to the strength and support of the movement.

“We selected Abba to contest under the NNPP and we won the election, but he later joined the same people we defeated. Some claimed he left because he feared losing his position, but he knows there was no chance we would have lost Kano. If that were true, we would not have won when he contested under our platform,” he said.

The former governor added that Yusuf was chosen as the party’s candidate to demonstrate the political strength of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

“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 stated.

Kwankwaso also emphasised the importance of tolerance and forgiveness in leadership, noting that leaders must be willing to accommodate differing opinions.

“As a leader, you must have an open mind. You cannot force everyone to think the same way because people come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives. Without forgiveness, we would not have achieved what we have today,” he added.