Former Kano State Governor and 2027 NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso has opened the door to reconciliation with Governor Abba Yusuf, declaring that he still cares about his former ally despite the political differences that have strained their relationship. Kwankwaso, who is the NDC vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election, spoke about the fractured relationship […]

Former Kano State Governor and 2027 NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso has opened the door to reconciliation with Governor Abba Yusuf, declaring that he still cares about his former ally despite the political differences that have strained their relationship.

Kwankwaso, who is the NDC vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election, spoke about the fractured relationship during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service published on Sunday.

The disagreement is rooted in a major political shift by Yusuf, who won the Kano governorship election in 2023 as a member of the New Nigeria People’s Party and was previously closely associated with Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya movement.

Yusuf later left the NNPP for the All Progressives Congress, a move that placed him politically alongside former Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

Ganduje has long been identified as one of Kwankwaso’s major political rivals in Kano, making Yusuf’s defection a significant development in the relationship between the governor and his former political mentor.

Despite the political fallout, Kwankwaso said he still has affection for Yusuf and rejected the suggestion that he had abandoned or deliberately pushed the governor away.

He said Yusuf was free to return and reconcile, stressing that he did not regard himself as a vindictive politician.

Kwankwaso extended the same position to his past disagreements with Ganduje, saying he had forgiven him despite what he described as several incidents in which Ganduje challenged him politically.

He recalled that Ganduje served as his special assistant at the Ministry of Defence in 2007, before political disagreements emerged after Ganduje and others allegedly worked against him when he contested.

Kwankwaso said that, despite the disagreements, he later supported Ganduje and backed his emergence politically, although he noted that Ganduje ultimately failed after receiving his support.

The NDC vice-presidential candidate also said political relationships require patience because individuals do not necessarily share the same way of thinking.

He pointed to differences in age, background, education and personal reasoning as factors that can influence how people respond to political situations.

Kwankwaso said that nobody should expect everyone around them to act or think exactly as they would, suggesting that tolerance remains important in resolving political disagreements.

He further argued that his willingness to forgive had previously allowed him to support people with whom he had experienced serious political differences.

Applying that position to Yusuf, Kwankwaso said the governor could still be welcomed if he desired reconciliation.

He also denied seeking financial rewards from politicians in exchange for endorsements or party tickets, saying he does not demand money from those who receive his political backing.

Kwankwaso’s comments come as political alliances continue to shift ahead of the 2027 elections, with his relationship with Yusuf remaining one of the notable political disagreements within Kano’s political landscape.