Musa Mohammed 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. After losing 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. 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 currently serves as the national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and holds a strong opposition bloc in Kano and many parts of Nigeria. Kwankwaso enjoys widespread support in Kano and north-western Nigeria; he has been viewed as a charismatic populist.

In 2011, he was re-elected governor of the state and went on to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014. In 2015, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully contested the presidential primaries nomination under the opposition of the All Progressives Congress but lost to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2018, he returned to the 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.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was born on 21 October 1956 in Kano, to a Muslim family. His father held the position of Sarkin Fulanin 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. Kwankwaso attended Kwankwaso Primary School, Gwarzo Boarding Senior Primary School, Wudil Craft School, and Kano Technical College before proceeding to Kaduna Polytechnic for 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.

He also attended postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom from 1982 to 1983 at Middlesex Polytechnic and Loughborough University of Technology, receiving a Master's degree in civil engineering in 1985. In 2022, he was awarded a PhD in civil engineering from Sharda University, India. Kwankwaso joined the Kano State Water Resources and Engineering Construction Agency in 1975, serving there for seventeen years and rising to become the principal water engineer. In 1992, he entered politics on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and became a member of the People's Front faction led by General Shehu Yar'adua.

He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives representing Madobi Federal Constituency in 1992 and subsequently became deputy speaker, bringing him to national prominence. During the 1995 Constitutional Conference, he was elected as a delegate from Kano under the People's Democratic Movement led by Yar'adua. He later joined the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) during the political transition under General Sani Abacha. In 1998, he joined the PDP under the leadership of Mallam Musa Gwadabe, Senator Hamisu Musa, and Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila.

In 1999, he contested the PDP primaries alongside Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Mukthari Zimit, and Ambassador Kabiru Rabiu Dansista. The party electoral committee declared him the winner. He was elected governor of Kano State from 29 May 1999 to 2003. His first tenure was marked by opposition and support for Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2003, he lost re-election to Ibrahim Shekarau. He was re-elected governor again in 2011, implementing projects like the Kano University of Science and Technology, free school feeding, and infrastructure improvements.

During his second tenure (2011–2015), he established the North West University, Kano, and trained over 360,000 youth and women. He introduced free education, built 230 secondary schools, and awarded scholarships to over 2,600 students. He constructed flyover bridges, improved roads, and covered drainages in Kano. He also built housing estates like Kwankwasiyya, Amana, and Bandirawo, donating 1,500 homes to flood victims. In 2013, he defected to the APC but later returned to the PDP in 2018.

In 2014, Kwankwaso faced a succession crisis in Kano after the death of Emir Ado Bayero. He later contested the APC presidential primaries in 2014, coming second to Muhammadu Buhari. He resigned from the APC in 2015 due to a White Paper indictment, later becoming a Senate member until 2019. In 2018, he defected to the PDP, contesting the presidential primaries but finishing fourth. He endorsed Atiku Abubakar, who lost the 2019 election.

In 2022, Kwankwaso abandoned the PDP to join the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), contesting the presidential primaries in 2023. He secured fourth place with nearly 1.5 million votes. Kwankwaso has launched the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation (KDF) to promote education, alleviate poverty, and support sports and social causes. He has donated scholarships, sports kits, and food to the needy, including inmates.

Kwankwaso has been accused of misappropriating N10 billion in pension funds while governor, but the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) denied any ongoing corruption case. He has denied allegations, calling them politically motivated. Kwankwaso has been involved in politics for over 30 years and has never faced corruption convictions. He attributes his left-leaning economic views to Aminu Kano, a prominent socialist politician from Kano.

In 2020, he inaugurated a solar-powered school in Rano, Kano, built through the KDF. In 2021, the EFCC invited him for questioning on pension fund allegations, but he voluntarily attended to clarify rumors. Kwankwaso has been described as socially conservative and economically left-leaning, focusing on regional and pragmatic considerations rather than ideology. His political career includes multiple roles in Kano State, national politics, and international engagements.