Ganduje Counters Kwankwaso: “You Were Also Once My Boy”

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has pushed back against recent comments by former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, insisting that political mentorship and support between the two leaders ran both ways.
Ganduje’s response followed a remark attributed to Kwankwaso in which he reportedly stated, “Even Ganduje was once my boy,” a comment that has sparked fresh debate within Kano’s political landscape.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Chief of Staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba, Ganduje said political success is rarely achieved in isolation, stressing that every leader benefits from the guidance, support, and sacrifices of others at different stages of their career.
Currently in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage, the former Kano governor recalled playing a key role in Kwankwaso’s early political rise, particularly during the National Assembly elections that eventually saw Kwankwaso emerge as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to Ganduje, he provided both moral and financial support during that period, arguing that if political seniority is to be measured by influence and mentorship, he also had grounds to claim a leadership role in Kwankwaso’s journey.
The former APC chairman further pointed to his years in public service, including his tenure as a senior civil servant in the Federal Capital Territory and later as Kano State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport. He noted that Kwankwaso frequently visited him during those years, underscoring the longstanding relationship between them.
Ganduje, however, cautioned against reducing political discourse to “boy-master” narratives, saying Nigerians expect leaders to focus on governance, development, and improving the welfare of citizens rather than engaging in personality contests.
Revisiting the political events of 1998, he recalled the Kano governorship primaries, claiming many party stakeholders believed he had won the contest but that he stepped aside in the interest of party unity and accepted the deputy governorship position alongside Kwankwaso.
The statement highlighted the long and complex political history shared by both men, who served together as governor and deputy governor between 1999 and 2003 before later becoming political rivals.
Ganduje also cited the example of current Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who once served as a Personal Assistant to Kwankwaso but now occupies the state’s highest elective office. He said the example illustrates how political relationships evolve and how protégés can eventually surpass their mentors in public prominence.
“A father can nurture a child who later becomes greater than him. That does not diminish the role of mentorship,” Ganduje was quoted as saying.
Calling for restraint among political actors and their supporters, he urged leaders across Kano State to avoid statements capable of deepening divisions and instead prioritize unity, peace, and the development of the state.
“Politics should not be about who is superior to the other,” he said. “It should be about service, continuity, and development.”