Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said he is willing to reconcile with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf despite their political differences.
Mr Kwankwaso made the remarks in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service published on Sunday, where he addressed his strained relationship with the governor.
Mr Kwankwaso said he had not abandoned Mr Yusuf and maintained that he still had affection for him.
“I didn’t abandon him, didn’t ask him to go or dismiss him, I still like him,” he said.
He said he was not a vindictive person and was prepared to forgive people with whom he had political disagreements.
“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,” Mr Kwankwaso said.
How the rift began
Mr Yusuf won the 2023 Kano governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party with the backing of Mr Kwankwaso and was closely associated with the Kwankwasiyya political movement.
Their relationship later deteriorated after Mr Yusuf defected from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress. He formally joined the APC in January 2026 alongside members of the Kano State House of Assembly and House of Representatives.
The move placed the two politicians on opposing political platforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kwankwaso recalls Ganduje dispute
Mr Kwankwaso also referred to his long-running political disagreements with former Kano governor Abdullahi Ganduje, whom he described as another person he eventually forgave.
“How many times did I have issues with Ganduje? He challenged me on several occasions,” he said.
He recalled that Mr Ganduje was his special assistant while he was at the Ministry of Defence in 2007 and alleged that meetings were held to work against him when he contested for political office.
Despite their disagreements, Mr Kwankwaso said he later supported Mr Ganduje’s political rise.
“So, if I’m not forgiving, we will not put Ganduje forward; the situation is the same with Yusuf,” he said.
‘I don’t dictate to people’
Mr Kwankwaso also said he does not dictate how other politicians should behave, noting that individuals have different backgrounds, experiences and ways of reasoning.
He said reconciliation requires patience and understanding because not everyone will act or think in the same way.
He added that political endorsements and tickets should not be treated as financial transactions.
“We don’t ask for a dime from each of them to get our endorsement and tickets; we don’t sell our candidature,” Mr Kwankwaso said.
The comments come as political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mr Kwankwaso is now aligned with the NDC, where he is the vice-presidential candidate alongside presidential candidate Peter Obi, while Mr Yusuf is now in the APC.
Their previous political relationship and influence in Kano make any discussion of reconciliation significant within the state’s political landscape.
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