DAILY TRUST
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has publicly refuted claims of a rift with his political mentor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In an interaction with journalists in Kano, late on Wednesday, Yusuf addressed speculations and rumours of discord, insisting that his relationship with Kwankwaso remains strong and respectful, as it has been for the past 40 years.
Rumours within the Kwankwasiyya movement and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) alleged that Kwankwaso exerts excessive influence over Yusuf’s administration, with some claiming he dictates policy decisions, effectively running a “third term by proxy.”
Aliyu Sani Madakin-Gini, the House of Representatives member representing Dala Federal Constituency, who recently broke ranks with Kwankwaso, had alleged that Governor Yusuf’s tiff with Kwankwaso stems from controversies over a drugs contract and a state-funded scholarship scheme.
Yusuf, however, dismissed the allegations, emphasising his autonomy while underscoring his gratitude and loyalty to Kwankwaso.
“There is no truth in the rumours of a misunderstanding between us,” Yusuf said.
“In my 40 years of knowing him, tell me, who among politicians has stayed with someone this long and still maintained harmony? When he was governor, I served as his personal assistant, always by his side. In all these years, we have never had a rift. To now suggest that I am somehow chained by Kwankwaso is simply unfair.
“Even just two days ago, I visited him and told him about these rumours. I said, ‘I am surprised. Do people expect me to insult the man who stood by me?’ This is someone who has been there for me, and now some want me to go against him. It is simply not in my nature,” Yusuf asserted, adding that his governorship is not due to any person’s influence but the will of God.
