Rabiu Kwankwaso, the National Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has delivered a scathing assessment of the political fortunes of several prominent Kano figures, declaring that former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, alongside incumbent Governor Abba Yusuf, have lost their political relevance in the state.
Kwankwaso made the remarks while discussing his long-running political relationships and the fate of former members of his political camp who later broke away from him.
Speaking during the News Agency of Nigeria Personality Interview Series in Abuja on Sunday, he argued that political influence built on betrayal could not endure.
‘You cannot succeed with treachery’
The former Kano governor said his experience spanning about 25 years had convinced him that politicians who turn against their political allies eventually suffer a decline in influence.
“You cannot succeed with treachery. I have not seen one,” Kwankwaso said, while reflecting on the fate of some of his former associates.
He maintained that political prominence could disappear rapidly when politicians abandoned the structures and relationships that had initially helped them rise.
Ganduje becomes the centre of Kwankwaso’s criticism
Kwankwaso pointed particularly to Ganduje, who served as his deputy for eight years before succeeding him as Kano governor in 2015.
According to Kwankwaso, Ganduje’s political difficulties began when he fell out with the political structure they had built together.
He argued that Ganduje would have retained far greater influence in Kano and elsewhere if he had remained within that political framework.
“If you can even see the issue of Ganduje, who we came together and supported, and became governor free of charge.
The day when he started fighting was the beginning of his problem,” he said.
Kwankwaso questioned Ganduje’s current political standing, suggesting that his influence had significantly diminished since their relationship broke down.
Governor Yusuf also faces criticism
Kwankwaso extended his criticism to Governor Abba Yusuf, accusing him of distancing himself from the political movement that helped secure his emergence.
He recalled that members of his political group had worked extensively to position Yusuf as a governorship candidate and support his political ambitions.
According to Kwankwaso, Yusuf was initially selected partly because the political camp wanted to avoid a repeat of what he described as Ganduje’s actions.
The 2019 and 2023 elections
Kwankwaso said his supporters worked tirelessly to field Yusuf during the 2019 governorship election, which Yusuf won before the result was overturned following legal proceedings.
He said the same political structure regrouped ahead of the 2023 election and successfully returned Yusuf to the governorship despite what he described as efforts to employ similar tactics against the party.
However, Kwankwaso said the relationship subsequently changed, with Yusuf moving away from the political camp that had supported him.
“He left us, but he is not with Ganduje now. He is in-between,” he said.
A struggle for political dominance
Kwankwaso also alleged that Yusuf was attempting to establish himself as Kano’s dominant political force despite Kwankwaso’s continued influence in the state.
He suggested that impatience among politicians frequently contributes to conflicts over succession and control.
“People have no patience and that is why they are making those mistakes.
It is just a matter of patience,” Kwankwaso said.
His comments highlight the continuing rivalry surrounding control of Kano’s influential political machinery ahead of the 2027 elections.
Shekarau also named among political casualties
Although much of the interview focused on Ganduje and Yusuf, Kwankwaso also listed former Kano governor Ibrahim Shekarau among politicians whose political influence had faded.
His broader argument was that politicians who abandon established alliances and structures can eventually find themselves isolated from the political mainstream.
Kwankwaso portrayed this as a recurring pattern rather than an issue unique to Kano.
Tinubu reconciliation effort recalled
The former governor also recalled a conversation with President Bola Tinubu in which the President reportedly encouraged him to reconcile his differences with Ganduje.
Kwankwaso said he responded by pointing to politicians who had previously been closely associated with Tinubu but were no longer prominent within his political circle.
He cited former Lagos State Deputy Governor Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele and former Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode as examples.
“I told him that when I come here, I don’t see Bucknor. When I come here, I don’t see Ambode.
I started counting the people,” Kwankwaso recalled.
Political friendships can be temporary
Kwankwaso said his decades in politics had taught him that political relationships could change dramatically, even between individuals who once worked closely together.
He compared political friendships to relationships formed during school years, noting that former classmates can remain connected despite eventually following different paths.
He nevertheless singled out former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande as one political associate he still considered a friend.
Kano remains a special political battleground
Kwankwaso concluded that the struggle over political succession and influence was not exclusive to Kano, describing it as a familiar feature of Nigerian politics.
However, he maintained that Kano’s experience was particularly distinctive because of the strength of its political networks and the intensity of competition for control.
His latest remarks are likely to add fresh tension to an already closely watched political landscape as major players position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
