Kwankwaso insists Yusuf, Ganduje remain his political protégés

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has insisted that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and former governor Abdullahi Ganduje remain his political protégés despite growing political tensions in Kano State.

Kwankwaso made the remark while addressing members of the Kwankwasiyya movement at his Miller Road residence in Kano on Wednesday.

His comments were in response to recent remarks linked to Yusuf, who was reported to have questioned why a 69-year-old politician would describe a 63-year-old man as “his boy”, Daily Post reports.

Addressing supporters, Kwankwaso joked about the controversy, saying, “I was made to understand that a few don’t want to be referred to as my boy,” drawing laughter from the gathering.

He later spoke more directly in Hausa, maintaining that both Yusuf and Ganduje rose politically under his mentorship.

“If it is not out of disrespect, will Abba Kabir Yusuf say he is not my political son? If it is not out of disrespect, will Abdullahi Umar Ganduje say he is not my political son?” he said.

The audience responded with applause as the former Kano governor defended his influence on the political careers of the two politicians.

Kwankwaso, founder of the Kwankwasiyya movement, has remained a dominant figure in Kano politics for decades, having served as governor, minister and senator.

Yusuf is widely regarded as Kwankwaso’s political ally and successor, while Ganduje, who also served as Kano governor, was once Kwankwaso’s deputy before their relationship later turned sour over political differences.

Ganduje had earlier acknowledged working closely with Kwankwaso but rejected claims of a godfather-son relationship.

In an interview with the BBC, Ganduje said he was invited to serve as Kwankwaso’s deputy after losing the party primaries during their first tenure together, adding that their alliance in the second tenure was Kwankwaso’s personal decision.