The Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, has said the state government remains open to reconciling with former governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Waiya disclosed this on Sunday during a telephone interview with our correspondent while reacting to Kwankwaso’s recent statement that he remained open to reconciliation with Governor Abba Yusuf. Kwankwaso, in a media chat, said he had neither abandoned Yusuf nor asked him to leave his political camp.
He said he still loves the governor, stressing that political disagreements should not hinder reconciliation. Responding, Waiya said the government considers the former governor a father figure and would therefore welcome efforts to restore their relationship.
“We regard Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as a father to us. Therefore, just as he said that his door is open for reconciliation, our door is also open,” the commissioner said. Waiya added that Governor Yusuf had earlier advised his supporters not to see Kwankwaso as an adversary.
“Moreover, our Governor, His Excellency Abba Kabir Yusuf, has said that we should not fight with him because he is a father figure to us.
“Therefore, we have no problem with reconciliation if it happens. Besides, it is not really a fight; it is simply a difference of opinion,” he added.
The development followed the political disagreement between Yusuf and Kwankwaso after the governor left the New Nigeria Peoples Party for the All Progressives Congress.
Kwankwaso, while speaking about his relationship with Yusuf, said he believed political disagreements could be addressed through patience, forgiveness and compassion. He also referred to his past relationship with a former governor, saying that despite their political differences, he had at one point supported his political ambition.
The former governor maintained that political leaders should not expect their supporters to agree with every decision they take, noting that people have different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
Yusuf, a former political associate and protégé of Kwankwaso, emerged as the NNPP governorship candidate in the 2023 election with the backing of the Kwankwasiyya political structure.
His subsequent move to the APC changed his political relationship with Kwankwaso and affected the political alignment in Kano ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Although Kwankwaso has indicated his willingness to reconcile, neither he nor Yusuf has announced any formal agreement to restore their political relationship.
