Kwankwaso Drops Bombshell: Ganduje, Shekarau and Abba Yusuf ‘Finished’ in Kano Politics

Former Kano State Governor and 2027 vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has made a bold assessment of Kano politics, declaring that former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, as well as incumbent Governor Abba Yusuf, have lost their political relevance in the state.

Kwankwaso made the claim while appearing on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja.

Reflecting on his political journey and his relationships with former allies, the ex-governor said politicians who turn against the political structures that helped them rise to power often struggle to remain influential.

“You cannot succeed with treachery,” Kwankwaso said, insisting that his experience over the past 25 years had repeatedly demonstrated the consequences of political betrayal.

Kwankwaso Takes Aim at Ganduje

Ganduje, who served as Kwankwaso’s deputy for eight years before becoming governor in 2015, featured prominently in his comments.

Kwankwaso argued that Ganduje’s political troubles began after their relationship deteriorated and the former deputy governor moved away from the political structure they had built together.

“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. If I may ask: where is he now? It is difficult to see him,” he said.

He maintained that Ganduje could have retained greater political influence in Kano if he had remained loyal to the political structure that produced him.

‘Abba Yusuf Left Us’

Kwankwaso also turned his attention to Governor Abba Yusuf, saying his emergence was the result of years of work by members of the political movement associated with him.

He recalled that the group backed Yusuf in the 2019 governorship election, which Yusuf initially won before the result was overturned following legal proceedings.

The political structure, he said, returned stronger in 2023 and secured Yusuf’s election as governor.

However, Kwankwaso accused Yusuf of subsequently distancing himself from the political camp that supported his rise.

“He left us, but he is not with Ganduje now. He is in-between because I don’t think he is happy for anybody to call him Dan Gandujiyya,” Kwankwaso said.

He further alleged that Yusuf was attempting to build a political structure capable of challenging Kwankwaso’s longstanding influence in Kano.

According to the former governor, a lack of patience was responsible for some politicians making what he described as costly political mistakes.

Tinubu Once Asked Kwankwaso to Reconcile With Ganduje

Kwankwaso also revealed that President Bola Tinubu had previously encouraged him to settle his differences with Ganduje.

He said he responded by reminding Tinubu of politicians who had once been close to the president but later lost their prominence.

Among those he mentioned were former Lagos State Deputy Governor Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele and former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

“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.

The former governor said such developments demonstrate how quickly political alliances can change, even between politicians who once worked closely together.

‘Kano Politics Is Special’

Kwankwaso stressed that political betrayals and shifting alliances are not exclusive to Kano, describing them as a recurring feature of Nigerian politics.

However, he argued that the Kano experience is particularly unique.

He identified former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande as one of the few political associates he continues to regard as a friend despite the changes that have occurred in Nigerian politics.

“It’s not very peculiar to Kano, but I think the Kano experience is special out of the general lots,” he said.

With political alliances already taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections, Kwankwaso’s latest comments are likely to add fresh tension to the battle for political control of Kano State.