Rabiu Kwankwaso

Kwankwaso was born on 21 October 1956 to the ruling Fulani village head family of Kwankwaso, a village located in Madobi. He attended Kwankwaso Primary School, Gwarzo Boarding Senior Primary School, Wudil Craft School and Kano Technical College before proceeding to Kaduna Polytechnic where he did both his National Diploma, and Higher National Diploma.

He also attended postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom from 1982 to 1983 at the Middlesex Polytechnic; and Loughborough University of Technology where he received a master's degree in water engineering in 1985.[4] Kwankwaso was an active student leader during his school days and was an elected official of the Kano State Students Association.[5]

Kwankwaso started work in 1975, at the Kano State Water Resources and Engineering Construction Agency (WRECA). He served in the civil service for 17 years in various capacities and rose through the ranks as the principal engineer.[6]

In 1992, Kwankwaso made his entry into politics on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He belonged to the People's Front faction of the SDP led by General Shehu Yar'adua and made up of other politicians such as his former boss Senator Magaji Abdullahi, Babagana Kingibe, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Tony Anenih, Chuba Okadigbo, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila and Lamidi Adedibu amongst others.[7]

In 1992, Kwankwaso was elected as a member of House of Representatives representing Madobi Federal Constituency. His subsequent election as deputy speaker in the House brought him to the limelight of national politics. During the 1995 Constitutional Conference, Kwankwaso was elected as one of the delegates from Kano, as a member of the People's Democratic Movement led by Yar'adua.[8] He later joined the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) in the political transition program of General Sani Abacha. Kwankwaso joined the PDP in 1998 under the platform of People's Democratic Movement in Kano led by Mallam Musa Gwadabe, Senator Hamisu Musa and Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila.[7]

In 1999, he contested the PDP primaries alongside: Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Mukthari Zimit, Alhaji Kabiru Rabiu. The Santsi/P.S.P. were behind the candidature of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje but they lost to Kwankwaso in the primaries. The committee that conducted the primaries included Tony Momoh as Chairman other members were Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila and Senator Bala Tafidan Yauri. Kwankwaso was elected as the Governor of Kano State on 29 May 1999. His first tenure as the governor of Kano State was very eventful because of several other groups who were opposed to his high-handed governorship and his attempt at supporting Yoruba President Olusegun Obasanjo.[9] In 2003, he lost re-election to his rival Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.

In 2011, Kwankwaso was re-elected for a second term in office as Governor of Kano State from 29 May 2011 to 29 May 2015.[10] During this time, he set out to rejig his political structure of Kwankwassiya: building roads, hospitals and schools and sending residents to study abroad.[11] In August 2013, Kwankwaso was amongst seven serving governors who formed the G-7 faction within the PDP.[12] In November 2013, Kwankwaso alongside five members of the G-7 defected to the new opposition party the All Progressives Congress (APC).[13]

In June 2014, Kwankwaso was at loggerheads with long time Emir of Kano Ado Bayero over his appointment of Waziri (Vizier) of the Kano Emirate Council. On 6 June 2014, Ado Bayero died and a succession crisis loomed amongst the royals. On 8 June 2014, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi suspended Central Bank governor and Dan Majen Kano (Son of Emir-Maje)[14] emerged as the new Emir of Kano.[15] His accession led to widespread protests from supporters of Sanusi Ado Bayero son of the late Emir and Chiroman Kano (Crown Prince), and allegations that Kwankwaso supported Sanusi because of the 2015 presidential election.[16]

From 2003 to 2007, Kwankwaso appointed Minister of Defence in President Olusegun Obasanjo second cabinet. He replaced General Theophilus Danjuma, and with no prior military background used the influential ministry at the federal level to undermine his opponents especially the Kano State Government.

In 2007, Kwankwaso resigned his ministerial position to contest the Kano State governorship election but he lost because he had been indicted by a Government White Paper.[17][18] Alhaji Ahmed Garba Bichi later replaced him as the governorship candidate of the party.[17] After losing the bid from his party to contest the 2007 elections, he was appointed as the Special Envoy to Somalia and Darfur by President Olusegun Obasanjo; and was later appointed by President Umaru Yar'Adua as a Board Member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, a position he resigned from in 2010.[19]

Crowd of supporters (distinguished by the red hats) at the inauguration of Kwankwaso as Governor of Kano state and supreme leader of the Kwankwasiyya ideology, 29 May 2011

In 2011, Kwankwaso was re-elected for a second term in office as Governor of Kano State from 29 May 2011 to 29 May 2015.[10] In 2014, Kwankwaso used his large political following in Kano to contest the APC presidential primaries. The presidential primaries results held in Lagos was: Muhammadu Buhari with 3,430 votes, Kwankwaso with 974 votes, Atiku Abubakar with 954 votes, Rochas Okorocha with 400 votes and Sam Nda-Isiah with 10 votes. Coming in second, Kwankwaso endorsed the winner Muhammadu Buhari and later secured nomination to the Senate of Nigeria representing Kano Central Senatorial District from May 2015 to May 2019.[20]

In July 2018, Kwankwaso alongside fourteen serving senators of the APC defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).[21] In October 2018, Kwankwaso contested the PDP presidential primaries. At the presidential primaries held in Rivers, amongst twelve presidential aspirants Kwankwaso came in fourth behind: Atiku Abubakar with 1,532 votes, Aminu Tambuwal with 693 votes, Bukola Saraki with 317 votes and Kwankwaso with 158 votes. Kwankwaso later endorsed the winner Atiku Abubakar and refused to seek re-election into the Senate, with Ibrahim Shekarau replacing him.[22] Kwankwaso campaigned heavily for his son-in-law Abba Kabir Yusuf to emerge as the Governor in Kano State. The election was later declared inconclusive in favour of incumbent Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.[23]

On 9 March 2004, the chief judge of Kano state swore in the six-member commission of inquiry which was headed by Hon. Justice Ahmed Badamasi as chairman to inquire the activities of Kwankwaso. The commission commenced sitting on 19 March 2004 and made its report available and for the government to issue the white paper by November 2004, when he was indicted.[24][25]

On 2 July 2015, justice Mohammed Yahaya of the Kano High Court had restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) from arresting or restraining Kwankwaso in its investigation for alleged misappropriation of N10 billion pension funds while serving as Kano State governor.[26] But two weeks later on 16 July 2015, the same judge in the Kano High Court voided his earlier order and granted the EFCC a judgement to enable the commission to investigate, arrest and prosecute Kwankwaso.[27] Justice Muhammed Yahaya also fined N50,000 against Kwankwaso for "time-wasting."

However the EFCC has denied and refuted claims of any pending corruption case and prosecution against Kwankwaso.[28][29][30] Kwankwaso himself has strongly denied and rejected any corruption allegation against him, describing it as mere political blackmail, mischievous and untrue which is sponsored by his enemies and political rivals to tarnish his image and reputation, Kwankwaso even went ahead and filed suit in court through his lawyer seeking compensation for tarnishing his image.[31][32][33][34]

Kwankwaso's time in office was characterised with a number of notable achievements. During his first tenure in office as Governor (1999 to 2003), he established the Kano University of Science and Technology in Wudil, the first and only state university in Kano at the time.[35] During his second tenure (2011 to 2015), Kwankwaso established the North West University, Kano the second state University in Kano.[36] He also established 26 academic and manpower development training Institutes and through these institutes over 360,000 youth and women were trained and empowered. He is the first Governor in Nigeria to introduce free school feeding and uniform for primary school pupils. This exponentially increased the school enrolment figures from 1 million in 2011 to over 3 million in 2015 when he left office.[37]

His passion for education saw to the introduction of free education at all levels in the State and saw to the adequate provision of teaching and learning materials. He established 230 secondary schools out of which 47 are Technical Colleges, 44 School of Islamic Studies, a Chinese College, a French College, and the first boarding Girls College as well as a Boys College in Damagaran and Niamey; jointly with the Government of Niger Republic. In his four years as the Governor of Kano State, he has awarded over 2,600 postgraduate and undergraduate foreign scholarships in 14 countries across the world. This is in addition to the local private University scholarship in Nigeria.[38][39]

In the area of infrastructure for the first time in the history of Northern Nigeria 3 Flyover bridges were constructed, 5 km dual carriage lighted roads were being constructed in each of the 44 local Government Areas of Kano, constructed 2 Underpass bridges,.[40][41] Kwankwaso also initiated the covering of drainages with interlocking tiles in the state, including the covering of the Jakara River which cuts across the city of Kano with a dualised road, which greatly improved the environmental and sanitary condition of the entire city of Kano.[42][43][44] Kwankwaso has also built many houses and estates in both his first and second tenure in office. Three modern cities Kwankwasiyya, Amana and Bandirawo were built with about 3000 housing units of various capacities put up for sale to the general public. About 1500 houses have been constructed and donated free to the rural poor communities and victims of flood disaster.[45][46]

• List of Governors of Kano State