Kwankwaso Speaks On Forgiving, Reconciling With Governor Yusuf

The Leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared his willingness to reconcile with Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Yusuf, a long-time member of the Kwankwasiyya movement, won the 2023 governorship election under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) before defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection strained the political relationship between Kwankwaso and Yusuf, who had served as his personal aide for four decades.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa Service, which was shared on his official social media page, Kwankwaso noted that he remains open to forgiving and reconciling with Yusuf if the governor desires peace.

Clarifying his position, Kwankwaso stressed that he neither dumped the governor nor instructed him to dump his party.

“I didn’t abandon him, didn’t ask him to go or dismiss him, I still like him,” Kwankwaso stated.

Kwankwaso, who serves as the vice-presidential candidate to Peter Obi on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), maintained that he holds no grudges and routinely forgives those who offend him.

To illustrate his stance, he referenced his past political reconciliations with former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje despite their severe friction.

“How many times did I have issues with Ganduje? He challenged me on several occasions.

“In 2007, when we were in the Ministry of Defence, he was my Special Assistant (SA), but they held meetings to bring me down because I contested with them.

“In spite the misgivings, I put Ganduje forward and supported him but he failed,” he remarked.

Rejecting the label of a dictator, Kwankwaso emphasized that he remains an active force in Nigerian politics.

“I’m not God. So, if Yusuf or whoever wishes to come, you need to have patience, have a large heart and compassion because not all will play along your line.

“You don’t expect everybody to act, behave or think like you do, because everyone has his way of reasoning, age, background and educational qualifications.

“So, if am not forgiving, we will not put Ganduje forward, the situation is the same with Yusuf.

“We don’t ask for a dime from each of them to get our endorsement and tickets; we don’t sale our candidature,” he concluded.