Kabiru Adamu Kofar Ruwa, a founding member of Kwankwasiyya and close associate of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for nearly 29 years, recently left the movement and joined the APC. In this interview, he speaks about the predicament of Kwankwasiyya, what changed, why many of them left, and his views on the future of the movement.
You spent almost three decades with Kwankwasiyya. People often associate the movement with a particular face. What, in your view, is the true face of Kwankwasiyya that people don’t know?
The movement started with truth and trust. That was the foundation. But later, the leader of the journey, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, deviated completely from the path. Injustice crept in, and that destroyed the entire structure. If you observe, Kwankwaso was governor, he brought Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as governor, later he brought Abba Kabir Yusuf as governor. But I assure you, Kwankwaso will never again install a governor in Kano. Anytime he signs onto a governorship candidacy, that name collapses. Look at now, he picked Aminu Abdussalam as candidate, and the same fate awaits him.
Why are you so sure about this?
If you understand politics, especially in Kano, you’ll see that the path to becoming governor was not followed at all. Kwankwasiyya has lost its way. Even NDC, which they now rely on as party, is not a true opposition. They don’t even have the guarantee to contest elections. The injustice of Kwankwaso destroyed Kwankwasiyya. Many people left like senators, federal lawmakers, chairmen, even ordinary members. Some governors too. The exodus is unprecedented.
What exactly caused this mass exit?
Injustice. Before, Kwankwaso was known for speaking once and standing by it. Now, he speaks ten different things at once. It is as if something has changed in him. That is why many left. Even those he gave candidacy in NDC wanted to resign, if not for me stopping some of them.
Some may say you left because your personal requests were not granted. How do you respond?
No. Anyone who knows me knows that requests don’t make me change my stance. Even if I won a federal assembly seat, if something came that I didn’t like, I would resign. I once resigned as North Central Manager of a big Chinese textile company, because of injustice. I have principles. If something is wrong, I leave. That is who I am.
You mentioned Gov Yusuf. What is your view of his relationship with Kwankwaso?
Abba Kabir Yusuf has no secrets hidden by Kwankwaso that the world doesn’t know. The things he covered for Kwankwaso, even Kwankwaso’s children and siblings cannot cover it more than Governor Yusuf. We are even pressing the governor to come out and tell the world. Kwankwaso betrayed him, betrayed Kano State. Abba is still carrying the burden, that is why he has not spoken much. But the truth will come out.
Looking at the political terrain, what is the future of Kwankwasiyya in elections?
If INEC conducts elections, they will come third at best. Ibrahim Little of ADC is the real opposition now in Kano who will come second. Who will they send to INEC as Kwankwasiyya’s agents in Kano now as they did in the past? Who in Dala, Kano Municipal, Doguwa LGA? Nobody. Those left with Kwankwaso only bargained in the primaries, now they will just get what they bargained for in the general election. They are not following him to succeed in forming government. Across Nigeria, no governor works like Abba Kabir Yusuf. Everyone knows this.
Even we who opposed him did so because our leader then (Kwankwaso) told us to, but we never said he was not working. Only that he betrayed those who didn’t know. Kwankwaso betrayed the governor and betrayed Kano State. We will open everything, we will not fear anyone.
Kwankwasiyya members boast that they don’t rely on office holders but on ordinary people. They say they almost won in 2019, and in 2023 they won despite not having government backing. How do you see this claim come 2027?
But let me tell you, in 2023, in all local governments and 484 wards of the state, old politicians stood firm and protected votes. In Dala, my local government for instance, we have people like Ali Madaki, Lawal Hussaini, Dayyabu Maiturare, Namadi, myself and others who stood by Kwankwasiya. Now, we are all in APC, tell me who will stand by it. We risked our lives for him. But now, nobody will let even a fingernail be removed for him.
The party doesn’t even have agents in rural areas. A party that cannot get agents to stand at ballot boxes, how can it win?