There is no way anyone can chronicle Nigeria’s political history without mentioning the name Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Kwankwaso served as the Governor of Kano State twice—first from 1999 to 2003, and again from 2011 to 2015. He also held the position of Minister of Defence under President Olusegun Obasanjo, from 2003 to 2007. The same Kwankwaso was elected to the Senate in 2015, under the All Progressives Congress (APC). For those conversant with Nigeria’s political history, they must have come across the name Mohammed Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on the list of members of the House of Representatives in 1992. He was at the National Assembly as the representative of the Madobi Federal Constituency from Kano State. Subsequently, Kwankwaso was elected Deputy Speaker of the House, a feat that probably propelled him to the limelight of national politics.
In 2023, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) fielded Kwankwaso as its presidential flag bearer, where he came fourth on the ladder of contestants, carrying only one state—his native Kano State. Since then, Kano remains the only state under the control of the party, while Kwankwaso carries the tag of the leader. He is undoubtedly the party’s political kingpin. So, as far as politics and political maneuverings are concerned, Kwankwaso is qualified to be labeled as one who has been through the thick and thin. However, events are unfolding in a manner that seems suggestive of the fact that the political kingpin is destined—or being keyed in—for a knock-off.
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First, let me do an overview of the history of the NNPP, which, according to history and belief, was fashioned after the NPN of 1978. The NPN was one of the six political parties registered for the Second Republic elections. It was led by the late Makaman Bida, Alhaji Aliyu Makaman Bida, MHA, CMG, CFR, OBE, CBE. Makaman Bida was a Nigerian politician and the first Northern Minister of Education and Social Welfare. He later became the Minister of Finance and Treasurer of the NPC—the Northern People’s Congress. He was also the Deputy Premier of Northern Nigeria, the second most politically powerful personality in the North. Makaman Bida led the NPN to victory by winning and producing a president in 1979, in the person of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The politically powerful Makaman Bida passed away in 1980. Now, is Kwankwaso positioning himself for the political position of the late Makaman Bida? He has not said so, neither have any of his political promoters, including his famous and vocal friend, Alhaji Buba Galadima. But there are those who are saying so, and they have made it a duty to get him knocked off.
The first challenge to the political ambition of Kwankwaso came by way of questioning the legitimacy of his membership in the NNPP, and the subsequent claim of being the leader of the party. This claim, put against that of the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam—who went to court to challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for assenting to the change in the NNPP logo and colour, as well as the amendment of the party’s constitution by Kwankwaso and his cohorts—are issues of concern to Kwankwaso. The court ruled in favour of Aniebonam, but the Kwankwaso faction was undeterred, continuing to lay claim to the party. Aniebonam saw that as an act of disobeying the court, the blame for which he places on Kwankwaso. Aniebonam, alongside the National Chairman of the party, Agbo Major, announced the expulsion of Kwankwaso for impersonation, among many political sins.
In essence, two people were laying claims to the seat of the National Chairman of the party. One was Agbo Major, while the other was Dr. Ajuji Ahmed. Again, the dispute was settled in court, which dismissed the suit filed by the Kwankwaso faction and upheld the legitimacy of the Aniebonam faction. This brought another spanner in the political works of Kwankwaso, as he is seen as floating on a floorless plank. He is technically a politician without a political party.
Again, yesterday, pursuant to the persistent rumour making the rounds that Kwankwaso is working underground for a return to the APC, the headquarters of the party played host to a powerful delegation of stakeholders from Kano, led by the Minister of State for Housing, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Yusuf Attah. Honourable Attah’s political profile is fast rising for a number of reasons, prominent among which are his frankness, openness, honesty, and disdain for deception. Apparently, Attah and his delegation were at the party headquarters with a frank and straightforward message—Kwankwaso must not be accommodated in the APC.
Hon. Attah said Kwankwaso is a spent force in politics and that his relevance has long become irrelevant. Bringing such a liability to the party, he argued, would only make a mess of its fiercely fought fortunes. This is another knock-off for Kwankwaso as a kingpin. However, Kwankwaso’s political style notwithstanding—particularly the presumed public perception that, in his political dictionary, the word “political humility” is non-existent—the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, an erstwhile ally of Kwankwaso, went the way of compassion and political benevolence. To him, refusing to receive Kwankwaso, if indeed he is seeking refuge in the party, would amount to a political overkill.
The question now begging for an answer is: is Kwankwaso really seeking refuge in the APC, and if so, is the kingpin being keyed in for a knock-off?
