By joshua 
Is Kwankwoso’s godfatherism sinking in Kano?
In the practice of democracy there is always the usual refrain – “there are no permanent enemies but interest.” This political gospel has remained to be real for ages and has continued to shape the democratic terrain across the globe.
Politics in its entirety requires critical maneuvers all in a bid to woo the people into an ideological based political principle. And as it is always seen, this maneuvers could be for the interest of the people or an individual depending on how it is placed to the buying of the majority of the people.
For years, the Olusola Saraki dynasty dominated Kwara state politics. As a matter of fact the Sarakis were anything but Kwara politics. From governorship, National, State Assembly, Chairmanship to Councillorship positions, the Sarakis decides who occupies the political positions in the state.
While politics lasts, it was the Sarakis or nothing else in Kwara state. As a matter of fact, Olusola Saraki who was the political partriach of the family was once the Senate President in the country. His son, Dr. Bukola Saraki also became the governor of Kwara state while his sister , Hon. Gbemisola Saraki was a Senator. Later Dr. Bukola Saraki became the Senate President in the country. There is no doubt that the Saraki dynasty at a time dominated Kwara politics.
In spite of the garguatan influence of the Sarakis in Kwara politics, a time came the people of Kwara said “it is enough” and the people in the state took the gauntlet to decide their fate in politics. In no time Kwara state invented the popular O’tege refrain literally translated from the Yoruba parlance to mean “It is enough”.
As it came to pass, time was really up for the Sarakis dominance in Kwara politics and the political coinage of O’tege swept away the political Saraki dynasty in Kwara state.
As the Sarakis stepped aside in Kwara politics, then Muhammed Lawal came on board as the governor of the state thereby shifting the political pendulum for the commoners in Kwara politics. As I put this write up on paper, the Sarakis are yet to regain their once political dominance in Kwara politics.
In Kano State, politics is based on the interest of the less privileged in the society. The less privileged in the society is translated in Hausa local parlance as the “Talakawas”. For the Kano people any politician who makes the interest of the Talakawas uppermost is accepted by the masses of the people.
The Late Aminu Kano of the defunct Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) rose to political limelight through his political ideologies rooted on the welfare of the Talakawas whom he believes are the majority of the people.
Aminu Kano contested Nigeria Presidency in 1979 and 1983 using PRP as his political base. He lost on both elections but in his time the governorship position is always won by the PRP in Kano state. In spite of his demise many years back, the Talakawa political ideology has remained deep in the hearts of Kano people.
On the heels of Aminu Kano is Late Abubakar Rimi who also rode on the platform of the PRP and gained acceptance for the people of Kano. Rimi also won a governorship position in Kano using the political ideological base of lifting the welfare of the Talakawas. Rimi in his grave but the political refrain of the welfare of the Talakawas remains intact in Kano.
Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwoso who is the father of the Kwankwansiya movement is a political force in Kano. A one time Senator of Nigeria’s Federal Republic, a two time governor of Kano state and a former minister of the Federal Republic, Kwankwoso also built his political domain weaving his political ideologies on the welfare of the Talakawas. Today he is standing tall dominating Kano politics.
Kwankwoso was once in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he once declared that in the eleven times he contested elections in Kano State he only lost once. This assertion is a proof of his towering politics in Kano state.
When he left the scene as the governor of Kano state, he anointed Abubakar Ganduje as his successor. Ganduje served two terms in office and towards the end of his second term in office he parted ways with Kwankwoso.
In 2023 Ganduje fielded a candidate to succeed him while Kwankwoso also fielded his own candidate for the 2023 Kano governorship election.
The Kano 2023 governorship election was fiercely contested between Kwankwoso and Ganduje’s loyals. The result of the election indicated that Abba Yusuf who was the candidate of Kwankwoso won the election and was duly sworn in as the elected governor of Kano state.
In the first one and half year Kwankwoso had it smooth with his political godson who doubles as the governor of Kano state. Afterwards things started to turn negative between Kwankwoso and the governor.
Matters came to a crescendo when majority of the opposition governors in the country started defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led-administration in the country. While the mass defection of opposition party governors continued, the rift between Kwankwoso and the Kano governor became public. Apart from hearsay no one for sure has come out to clearly state the real differences between Kwankwoso and the Kano governor.
In no distance time, Kano governor, Abba Yusuf muted the idea of defecting to the ruling APC in the country. The governor’s defection didn’t go well with Kwankwoso who is the father of the Kwankwansiya movement in Kano state.
Exacting the usual political dictum of no permanent enemies only interest, Governor Yusuf has since defected to the ruling APC leaving Kwankwoso and his Kwankwansiya movement in political quandary.
Indeed this are not the best of times for Kwankwoso. Only recently Kwankwoso’s political ally , Buba Galadima stated that it took him and Kwankwoso three days of sleepless nights to put a political machinery in place for Abba Yusuf to become the governor of Kano state. This might be a statement of fact but for Yusuf what matters is his political interest and not the political lullaby of his political godfathers. Hnnn!!!
As at today Media Reports has it that the Kwankwansiya political movement which found its way through the New Nigeria peoples Party (NNPP) is now in fractions. Unlike in the past that Kwankwoso use to have all the political appointees in his pocket, governor Yusuf’s defection to APC has placed a sword which tore apart the party appointees in the state with some for the governor and the others for Kwankwoso.
As it is, the fourty four Local Government Chairmen, National, State Assembly members are divided with some of them for governor Yusuf’s while others are for Kwankwoso.
What’s more, in 2023 the dominance of the the then sitting governor of Kano state, Abubakar Ganduje whittle down the political dominance of Kwankwanso. As a matter of fact The Kwankwansiya movement won the Kano State governorship seat by the whiskers. It took the judgement of the Supreme Court to affirm the victory of the current governor of Kano state under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples party.
If Media reports are anything to go by Kwakwanso was said to have sought medical attention abroad during the heat of governor Yusuf’s defection to the ruling APC. Could it be that governor Yusuf’s defection to APC has started taking its toll on the godfather of Kwankwansiya movement?
Come to think of it, during the Kano state governorship election, it was Kwankwoso and Yusuf’s political forces that made Ganduje’s governorship candidate to loose the election. In 2026 things are already turning the other way round. As it stands today, Governor Yusuf and Ganduje are now in one political camp. If this force remains in place till February 2027 when the general elections will be conducted across the country, can Kwankwansiya movement unsettle the political forces of Governor Yusuf and Ganduje. For now all one can say is – time will tell.
For now it is very clear the Kwankwansiya movement have a lot of work to do for the electorates at the grassroots. It can never afford the luxury of taking Governor Yusuf and Ganduje’s political forces for granted if it plans to make head way for the 2027 Kano state governorship elections.
One lesson should be clear here and it is that nothing lasts forever. Kwankwoso has wielded a lot of political influence for years in Kano state. It is time he tread on the path of wisdom so that he won’t suffer the fate of the Sarakis political dynasty in Kwara state.
Another lesson is this : the building of political tower in Rivers State by Nyesom Wike need some rejigging. Again nothing lasts forever. Its time Wike should give peace a chance for the Rivers State political terrain.
While Nigerian people would continue to watch the political shenanigans in Kano state for now, one thing that is obvious is that the political string which had held the Kwankwansiya movement is currently being put assunder. It remains much to be seen if ever the Kwankwansiya movement will ever remain the same again.
If wishes were horses, Nigerians should do their best not to allow the ongoing putrefecation of democracy by political godfathers across the country take its roots.