The senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Rufai Sani Hanga, has explained the circumstances that led to the breakdown of his political relationship with former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Hanga said their relationship became strained following disagreements over his political engagements and empowerment initiatives targeted at constituents.
The senator explained that tensions began to emerge after he launched extensive empowerment programmes in Kano Central, through which he distributed vehicles, rice, fertiliser, grinding machines, livestock and other materials to beneficiaries.
Speaking in an interview with Dan’uwa Rano TV, Hanga recalled an incident at an empowerment event held at a venue linked to Kwankwaso, which he said further widened the gap between them.
According to him, Kwankwaso had initially indicated that he would attend the programme and observe the distribution of the items. Hanga said the venue was packed with vehicles, bags of rice, fertiliser, livestock and other materials, which had taken approximately one and a half days to move to the location.
He said Kwankwaso appeared displeased upon arriving at the venue and subsequently instructed those at the event to pause the proceedings for prayers before departing. Hanga added that the former governor did not return after the prayers, while the programme went ahead with several prominent politicians and members of the National Assembly in attendance.
Hanga listed former Kano Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, Wada Sagagi, Batayya, former governorship candidate Nasiru Gawuna and several federal lawmakers among those who attended the event.
The senator said Kwankwaso later questioned him about the programme, particularly why such a major empowerment exercise had been organised without his participation in the distribution of the items.
“He said, ‘You came distributing things because people are praising you, saying Kano Central has never had a senator like you. You could not even bring the items to us to distribute. You gave me 50 bags of rice, 50 bags of fertilizer, and three cows. Am I hungry, or do I not have them? That is why I refused to come back after prayers,’” Hanga quoted Kwankwaso as saying.
Hanga said he apologised to the former governor and made efforts to settle the dispute, but noted that the incident contributed to the eventual collapse of their political relationship.
He further alleged that Kwankwaso had, on previous occasions, used intermediaries to ask that specific people be considered for assistance under his empowerment programmes.
One of the requests, Hanga said, came through Sunusi Surajo Kwankwaso, who approached him to provide a vehicle for an individual from Shanono, which is outside the Kano Central Senatorial District.
According to Hanga, he eventually bought the vehicle after being informed that the intended beneficiary’s former vehicle had been involved in an accident while participating in one of Kwankwaso’s political campaigns.
“I told him that whoever he wanted us to assist, we were ready to do so,” the senator said.
Hanga said the incident, however, marked a turning point in how he viewed his relationship with Kwankwaso, popularly described by supporters of the Kwankwasiyya movement as “Jagora”, meaning leader.
“That was when I realized disrespect had set in. He has treated others this way, but he had never done it to me until that moment. I told myself that since he started acting this way toward me, it was a mark of disrespect and things would not end well between us,” he said.
The senator alleged that Kwankwaso was uncomfortable with the growing scale of his political engagements and the public attention attracted by his empowerment activities across Kano Central.
“He was simply not happy with what I was doing—the distributions and the empowerment schemes,” Hanga said.
Hanga also linked his inability to obtain another ticket to contest under the political structure associated with Kwankwaso to the former governor’s dissatisfaction with his performance and activities.
“The reason I did not get a ticket was because ‘Jagora’ Kwankwaso was unhappy with my performance and activities,” he said.
In July, Hanga and former Kano State governor Kabiru Gaya were among prominent politicians who were received into the All Progressives Congress by President Bola Tinubu.
Their movement came amid shifts in Kano’s political environment, with several politicians previously associated with the Kwankwasiyya structure changing political allegiance.
Another former Kwankwaso ally, Kabiru Adamu Abdullahi, also recently defected from the Nigeria Democratic Congress to the APC, where he declared support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Abdullahi, who was associated with the Kwankwasiyya movement in Dala Local Government Area, said he had spent almost 30 years with Kwankwaso but became dissatisfied after what he described as unfulfilled political expectations.
“I have been with Kwankwaso for 29 years but have only benefited from failed promises. I will go to where I will be respected more,” he said.
“I have been with Kwankwaso for 29 years but have only benefited from failed promises. I will go to where I will be respected more,” he said.
