Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has said that Allah, not politicians or individuals, made him governor, stressing that his loyalty is to Kano State above any person or political interest.
Yusuf stated this on Saturday while presenting motorcycles to his social media handlers, amid controversies surrounding his reported defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In 2023, it was God who gave me power, not anybody else, and I still thank and appreciate Him as the only one who will allow me to continue in 2027,” the governor said.
He described discussions about the 2027 general elections as premature, saying such conversations were a distraction from pressing governance issues.
“Even all the talk about 2027 is a misplaced priority, because who knows whether he will make it to tomorrow, let alone 2027,” Yusuf said.
The governor said his immediate priority was ensuring peace, security and stability in the state, adding that governance, not political calculations, remained his focus.
“We have to get it right to have our full peace and security before talking about anything, and that is my major concern now, not anything else,” he said.
Yusuf further stressed that Kano State must always come first, insisting that no individual was bigger than the state.
“Let me remind everybody that, to me, Kano comes first, not loyalty to anybody. Everyone should know that no one is bigger than Kano; we shall all be loyal to Kano,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, a former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, spoke on the origin of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, saying it was not created by Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
“Myself and five others created the Kwankwasiyya Movement and even gave it a Red Cap symbol, not Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” Abubakar said.
He said the movement was formed at a time when its founders were politically marginalised, noting that they collectively built its identity and structure.
“Dr Yunusa Adamu Dangwani, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, myself and others constructed the acronym of Kwankwasiyya when the going was tough and we were somewhat sidelined,” he said.
Abubakar said the group rallied round Kwankwaso during difficult political periods in Kano State.
“At that time, we gave every support to Kwankwaso to survive the political tsunamis directed at him by the political bigwigs in Kano, and that was how we created the movement,” he said.
The former deputy governor criticised Kwankwaso for what he described as a failure to acknowledge the contributions of those who supported him.
“That bad behaviour drove all those loyal to him away, leaving him alone,” Abubakar said.
He compared the situation with the leadership style of the late Mallam Aminu Kano.
“We thought Kwankwaso would act like the late Mallam Aminu Kano, who always acknowledged that others created NEPU, PRP and the Sawaba movements, giving them credit at every opportunity. Alas, that was not the case with Kwankwaso,” he said.
