Rabiu Kwankwaso

Mohammed Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE FNIQS (born 21 October 1956) is a Nigerian politician who served as governor of Kano state from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was born on 21 October 1956 in Kano, to a Sunni Fulani Family of the Genawa Fulani Clan.

Kwankwaso joined the Kano State Water Resources and Engineering Construction Agency of the Government of Kano State in 1975.

He served there for seventeen years in various capacities and rose through the ranks to become the principal water engineer.

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 civil engineering in 1985.

He also earned a PhD in civil engineering at Sharda University India, in 2022.

In 1992, Kwankwaso made his entry into politics on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

He was a member of the People's Front faction of the SDP led by General Shehu Yar'adua and other popular politicians such as his former boss Senator Magaji Abdullahi, Babagana Kingibe, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Tony Anenih, Chuba Okadigbo, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Abubakar Koko and Lamidi Adedibu amongst others.

In 1992, Kwankwaso was elected as a member of the 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.

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.

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.

Kwankwaso was elected for his first term as the governor of Kano State from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003.

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.

After he lost his re-election in 2003, he was appointed the first Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic with no prior military background from 2003 to 2007, under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 2003, he lost re-election to his rival Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.

In 2011, he was re-elected governor of the state and went on to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014.

Kwankwaso was re-elected for a second term in office as governor of Kano State from 29 May 2011 to 29 May 2015.

During this time, he set out to rejig the political structure of Kwankwassiya: building roads, hospitals and schools and sending residents to study abroad.

His father held the position of the village head of Kwankwaso with the title of Sarkin Fulani Dagacin Kwankwaso before being elevated to the position of the District Head of Madobi with the title of Majidadin Kano, Hakimin Madobi by the Kano Emirate Council under the leadership of the 13th Fulani Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero CFR, LLD, JP.

He attended Kwankwaso Primary School, Gwarzo Boarding Senior Primary School, Wudi Craft School and Kano Technical College before proceeding to Kaduna Polytechnic where he did both his National Diploma, and Higher National Diploma.

Kwankwaso was an active student leader during his school days and was an elected official of the Kano State Students Association.

In August 2013, Kwankwaso was amongst seven serving governors who formed the G-7 faction within the Peoples Democratic Party.

In November 2013, Kwankwaso, alongside five members of the G-7, defected to the new opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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) emerged as the new Emir of Kano.

In October 2014, Kwankwaso used his large political following in Kano to contest the APC presidential primaries.

The presidential primaries results held in Lagos were: 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.

He was later elected to the Senate in 2015, serving one term under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kano Central Senatorial District.

He served as the national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party but was expelled from the party due to some internal disputes.

He was allegedly involved in anti-party activities and misappropriation of party campaign funds.

Kwankwaso enjoys widespread support in Kano and north-western Nigeria; he has been viewed as a charismatic populist.

In 2015, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully contested the presidential primaries nomination under the opposition All Progressives Congress but lost to Muhammadu Buhari.

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.

In 2018, he returned to Peoples Democratic Party and contested the presidential primaries, losing to Atiku Abubakar.

In 2023, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully ran for President of Nigeria under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, receiving 6.23% of the vote.