Don’t Push Me to the Limit, Gov Yusuf Warns Kwankwaso

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State on Monday broke his silence over his strained relationship with former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, warning that continued attacks against him could force him to publicly respond.

Yusuf spoke during the formal endorsement of Senator Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kano South in Rano, where he accused his former political mentor of making repeated remarks aimed at undermining him.

The governor said his decision to remain silent since the fallout within the Kwankwasiyya political family should not be mistaken for weakness.

“For us, Kano peace is our priority, but if we are pushed to the wall, we will open our mouths and talk. Silence is not a sign of fear,” Yusuf declared before party supporters.

The remarks marked the strongest public response yet from the governor since his political split with Kwankwaso became public earlier this year.

Yusuf also appeared to react to comments allegedly directed at him by the former Kano governor over age and political experience.

“To even keep quiet is an act of worship, not because we are afraid, not because we are kids. How could a 69-year-old call a 63-year-old a kid? It is just a personal respect that you are slightly elder than me,” he said.

The governor further warned that he might begin to reveal details about the crisis if the attacks persist.

“However, if an old man does not respect himself and keeps quiet, the younger one will have what to say. So, we are pleading with them in the name of Almighty and His Messenger to keep their mouths shut. Else, you will hear a lot of revelations,” he added.

Yusuf’s comments followed a recent interview granted by Kwankwaso to Trust TV, where the leader of the Nigeria Democratic Coalition (NDC) criticised the governor’s political decisions and described his exit from the Kwankwasiyya Movement as a major mistake.

Kwankwaso had also spoken about the role the movement played in Yusuf’s political rise, recalling how his former personal assistant eventually became governor under its structure.

The public exchange signals a deepening rift between the two longtime political allies whose relationship once shaped Kano’s political landscape.