Former Kano State Governor and 2027 vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared that former governors Abdullahi Ganduje and Ibrahim Shekarau, as well as incumbent Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, are no longer politically relevant in Kano State.
Kwankwaso made the remarks during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja on Sunday, August 16, 2026, while reflecting on the political fortunes of former members of his political camp who later fell out with him.
The former governor argued that political success built on what he described as betrayal and disloyalty could eventually lead to political decline.
Speaking about Ganduje, who served as his deputy governor between 2011 and 2015 before succeeding him as governor, Kwankwaso said their political relationship changed after Ganduje allegedly turned against him.
He questioned Ganduje’s current political influence, saying the former governor’s decision to break away from his political structure marked the beginning of his political difficulties.
Kwankwaso also discussed Governor Abba Yusuf, whom he described as a product of the political structure that supported his emergence. According to him, his political camp backed Yusuf during the 2019 and 2023 governorship contests.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate further said Yusuf had since distanced himself from the political structure that helped bring him to power.
On former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, Kwankwaso similarly suggested that his political influence had declined after breaking away from the political family.
Kwankwaso linked the political experiences of the three men to what he described as the consequences of abandoning political allies.
He also recalled a conversation with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who he said had previously encouraged him to reconcile with Ganduje. Kwankwaso said he responded by citing former Lagos politicians who were once influential but later lost political prominence.
The comments come as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Kwankwaso and other political leaders positioning themselves for the next electoral contest.
His remarks are likely to generate further debate within Kano’s political circles, particularly as major political figures continue to realign ahead of the 2027 elections.
