Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State says he has no rift with his political mentor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Yusuf made this clarification while interacting with newsmen, addressing speculations and rumours of discord with Kwankwaso.
He insisted that his relationship with the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, remains strong and respectful, as it has been for the past 40 years.
It was alleged that Kwankwaso dictates policy decisions for governor Yusuf, thereby exerting excessive influence over his administration.
A House of Representatives member representing Dala Federal Constituency, Aliyu Sani Madakin-Gini, who fell out with Kwankwaso recently, had alleged that Governor Yusuf’s rift with Kwankwaso stems from controversies over a drugs contract and a state-funded scholarship scheme.
Reacting, the governor, who debunked the allegations, stressed his autonomy.
He underscored his gratitude and loyalty to Kwankwaso, adding that there was no truth in the rumours of a misunderstanding between them.
“In my 40 years of knowing him, tell me, who among politicians has stayed with someone this long and still maintained harmony? When he was governor, I served as his personal assistant, always by his side. In all these years, we have never had a rift. To now suggest that I am somehow chained by Kwankwaso is simply unfair.
“Even just two days ago, I visited him and told him about these rumours. I said, ‘I am surprised. Do people expect me to insult the man who stood by me?’ This is someone who has been there for me, and now some want me to go against him. It is simply not in my nature,” he said.