KWANKWASIYYA leader and chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has tackled Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over comments regarding the governor being described as his political stooge.
News Point Nigeria reports that Kwankwaso, in a recent interview had described the governor as “Abba PA,” someone he claimed to have lifted from a low level and eventually made governor.
Responding to the remark, Governor Yusuf recently challenged Kwankwaso, describing it as disrespectful for the 69-year-old former governor to refer to him as a boy despite the fact that he is 63 years old.
However, while addressing supporters at his Miller Road residence in Kano on Wednesday, Kwankwaso defended his remarks and insisted that even former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who served two terms as his deputy, could not deny once being his political boy.
“I heard that some people said they dislike being called boys. If not for insolence, how could [former Reps] Mai Gidan Ruwa or Aminu Goro say they were not my boys politically? How could even Ganduje deny that he was once my boy?” Kwankwaso asked.
Governor Yusuf’s reaction marked the first public rebuke of the Kwankwasiyya leader since both political figures parted ways earlier this year.
The governor had also commented on Kwankwaso’s repeated remarks about him, warning that his silence should not be mistaken for fear.
He further urged Kwankwaso to respect himself, warning that otherwise he could expose certain issues publicly.
Since Governor Yusuf left Kwankwaso, the former political leader has repeatedly accused him of betrayal, arguing that Yusuf won election under his platform, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), only to later defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The latest exchange has further highlighted the growing political tension between the former allies, whose relationship has deteriorated sharply in recent months amid accusations, counter-accusations and deepening divisions within the Kwankwasiyya political movement in Kano State.
