By Ehichioya Ezomon
From happenings in the Kano polity these past weeks, Nigerians could imagine how former Kano State Governor, ex-Minister of Defence and 2023 presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would react if any of his children were to go against his political leaning, and campaign against his ambition to be President of Nigeria!
There would be a vocalnic eruption in his household against the deviant child, considering Kwankwaso’s tempestuous outbursts since his son-in-law, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, decided to quit NNPP, and “return” to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he’s part of at its formative stage in 2013.
Kwankwaso’s son, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, resigned his position as Kano Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, in accordance with the reported “directive” by Kwankwaso to members of the Kwankwasiyya movement to resign forthwith their offices in Yusuf’s government.
In his resignation letter on January 26, as reported by Vanguard, Mustapha sidestepped his father’s bellicose tone, and expressed appreciation for the opportunity Governor Yusuf gave him to serve the Kano people, stating that he’s leaving the cabinet with a “heavy heart,” and describing his time in office as “rewarding and impactful.”
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for the opportunity to serve the great people of Kano State. I have cherished the experiences and lessons gained while serving, and I appreciate the trust placed in me,” he said.
Praying for God’s blessings and continued peace and progress in Kano, and wishing the Yusuf administration “success in its efforts,” Mustapha added: “As I resign, I pray that the youth of Kano State will continue to receive the attention and support they deserve. I hope for the best for our sports development programmes and initiatives, and I am confident that they will flourish in the years to come.”
Kwankwaso’s acted in ways to suggest that were Yusuf his biological son, he would’ve done unprintable things than merely subjecting him to criticism, excoriation, odium and venom for daring to carve a different path from his under the Kwankwasiyya movement that’s dominated the Kano polity for many years.
Let’s look at snippets of Kwankwaso’s vitriol to Yusuf’s resignation from NNPP on January 23, 2026, and Atiku’s measured response to one of his son’s joining the APC, and working against his 2027 aspiration!
Kwankwaso’s christened the day Yusuf dumped the NNPP as “World Betrayal Day” to be marked yearly “with special events to remind members of (Kwankwasiyya) what transpired,” noting that he got the idea from social media posts, which described Yusuf’s exit as “a betrayal,” ARISENEWS reported on January 25.
Addressing loyalists at his home ground that hosts daily rallies since the political realignments in Kano began, Kwankwaso said: “None (of the posters) caught my attention more than one who posted, suggesting that we declare January 23 annually as World Betrayal Day. Therefore, as the leader and grand patron of this movement, I hereby declare that I fully support the declaration.”
On January 14, Kwankwaso, in a post on his verified social media platforms, alleged that: “I have received several reports – some good and some very terrible – indicating that the Kano State Government is compelling state officials and elected local government chairmen to sign documents either in support of Gandujiyya (Ganduje’s political group) or Kwankwasiyya.
“Our supporters should not take this lightly. It is very disturbing that a government would go so low. (However) since it has reached this level, those being forced to sign the document may go ahead and do so in order not to be victimised by the government” – which’s denied the reports via the Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, who explained that, “participation in the defection plan is entirely voluntary.”
On January 23, Kwankwaso told supporters that his long-standing political struggle “is aimed at the emancipation of ordinary Nigerians,” saying, “I’m not for sale. Our political convictions keep me grounded. If I were in it for personal gain, I would have taken the easy route and you would be looking for me elsewhere, not in this place (his residence).”
“Our shared vision is what keeps me going. If I were motivated by greed, I would have taken the money and run, and you would not be here showing your support,” he added.
In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on January 28, as Vanguard reported on January 29, Kwankwaso said the circumstances surrounding Yusuf’s exit from NNPP “appear unreal and confusing.” Stating that, “Many people have approached me, saying they believe what happened was part of some arrangement between me and him (Yusuf), or between me and those around him,” Kwankwaso added, “Even I, on several occasions, found it hard to believe that events have unfolded the way they did.”
Heaping blame on Yusuf for “handing over the mandate of the NNPP members and the people of Kano to the Gandujiyya (Ganduje’s) political camp without any strong justification,” Kwankwaso said rhetorically: “When I lie down, I reflect and ask myself: What really happened? Who was at fault? Was it me? Was it the party? Were party members at fault? But I have not been able to find an answer.”
Saying claims of internal crisis in the NNPP, and other reasons the governor gave him or sent others to relay to him for defecting “were issues that could have been resolved through dialogue and cooperation,” Kwankwaso argued that “no political party is completely free of grievances.”
“I can assure you, to the best of my knowledge, there is no party more peaceful and stable than the NNPP. And if there is any, let them hold their national convention and candidate selection processes, then you will see disputes,” he said.
Predicting that Yusuf “has already lost the (2027) election,” given that former Kano Governor and ex-National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, received him into the APC and raised his hand, Kwankwaso quipped: “If Ganduje truly had the power to raise someone’s hand to victory, he would have done so in 2019. If he had that power, he would have done so in 2023.”
Kwankwaso’s urged massive mobilisation by his supporters for 2027: “Going by what is happening in Kano today, we need to start preparing because there are people hell-bent on destroying what we built over time. We need people like you who have sacrificed and stood by the truth. You should not relent because, one day, we will achieve our objectives,” he said.
By contrast, compare the reaction of former Vice President and twice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to two of his sons in parties different from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) he’s expected to contest under for President in 2027.
As Atiku’s eldest son, Adamu Atiku remains in the PDP, and serves as Commissioner for Works and Energy Development under Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State; Abubakar Atiku Abubakar’s joined APC, to campaign for Tinubu. On January 26 in Yola, Adamawa’s capital city, he registered for membership at Gwadabawa ward in Yola North council, and remarked: “I want to make it very clear that nobody or any political party can stop President Tinubu from returning to Aso Rock in 2027.
“Nigerians have seen his good work; he is not a tribalist and he doesn’t make appointments based on religion or region. His decisions are purely on merit. The president needs our support to continue the good work. We should mobilise more people beyond party affiliations, to back our president.”
Abba, announcing defection to APC on January 15 at the National Assembly, where he’s received by Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, and APC leaders from the North-East, said: “My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, but everyone calls me Abba. I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party and my decision to join the APC.
“With this development, I will work with Senator Barau to actualise the second-term bid of President Bola Tinubu. To this effect, I am directing all coordinators of my association (Haske Atiku Organisation, now Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation) to join the APC and work for President Tinubu.”
Welcoming Abba, Barau congratulated him for his “bold and principled decision,” noting that, “You didn’t come here because of who your father is. You came because you believe in President Bola Tinubu, his ideology and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” adding, “You are young, focused and determined to contribute to shaping the future of our country. This is the kind of youth Nigeria needs.”
To the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, “Today is one of my happiest days. This is politics without borders. He (Abba) has seen the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and decided to align with them.”
Despite Abba’s claim that Tinubu’s the candidate to beat, Atiku – perhaps vying for President for the last time in 2027 when he’d be 80 plus (born November 25, 1946) – has restrained himself from publicly criticising him for campaigning against his lifelong ambition to rule Nigeria. Instead, he practices what he preaches as a democrat, saying his son has the right to association and choice as pillars of democracy.
Reacting via his verified X page, Atiku said: “The decision of my son, Abba Abubakar, to join the APC is entirely personal. In a democracy, such choices are neither unusual nor alarming, even when family and politics intersect. As a democrat, I do not coerce my children in matters of conscience, and I certainly will not coerce Nigerians.”
His eyes set on the ball, which’s “sacking Tinubu and the APC from power in 2027,” Atiku added: “What truly concerns me is the poor governance of the APC and the severe economic and social hardships it has imposed on our people. I remain resolute in working with like-minded patriots to restore good governance and offer Nigerians a credible alternative that brings relief, hope, and progress.”
It’s different strokes for different folks as regards the positions taken by a perceptively “autocratic” Kwankwaso to Governor Yusuf’s quiting the NNPP for APC, and a demonstratable “democratic” Abubakar to his two sons, one in the PDP, and the other joining the APC for re-election of President Tinubu against the election of his father in 2027!
- Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. Can be reached on X, Threads, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp @EhichioyaEzomon. Tel: 08033078357 .
