Leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has responded to Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, over remarks rejecting claims that he remained his political subordinate.
Kwankwaso, while addressing supporters at his Miller Road residence in Kano on Wednesday, insisted that several politicians who rose under his political structure were once his protégés, including former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The former governor’s reaction followed recent comments credited to Yusuf, who faulted Kwankwaso for repeatedly referring to him as “Abba PA” and a political “boy.”
Kwankwaso had, during an interview with Trust TV, described Yusuf as someone he elevated politically from a modest background before supporting his emergence as governor.
Responding to the remarks days later, Yusuf argued that it was disrespectful for Kwankwaso, aged 69, to publicly describe him as a “boy” despite the governor being 63 years old.
However, Kwankwaso dismissed the criticism, saying political mentorship should not be interpreted as an insult.
“I heard some people saying they don’t like being called boys. If not for disrespect, how can people like Mai Gidan Ruwa or Aminu Goro claim they were never my boys politically? Even Ganduje cannot deny that he was once my boy,” he stated.
The exchange marks the latest development in the growing rift between the two political allies, whose relationship reportedly collapsed earlier this year.
Governor Yusuf’s remarks were widely seen as his first direct public criticism of the former presidential candidate since their political disagreement became public.
The governor had also warned that his silence on issues involving Kwankwaso should not be mistaken for weakness, adding that he could reveal certain undisclosed matters if provoked further.
The political crisis between both men deepened after Yusuf reportedly distanced himself from Kwankwaso’s political camp and later aligned with the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Kwankwaso has since accused the governor of betrayal, arguing that Yusuf secured electoral victory on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party before abandoning the movement that facilitated his rise to power.
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