Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate, has held numerous positions since entering politics in the 1990s. He is a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, ex‑Minister of Defence, and former Governor of Kano State.
ADELANI ADEPEGBA writes on Kwankwaso’s involvement in the February 25 presidential election. Coming in a distant fourth place, Kwankwaso’s grand dream of ruling the country may be postponed. Although the NNPP standard‑bearer polled 1,496,687 votes—a respectable showing—he was far behind Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, who was declared the winner with 8,794,726 votes. Kwankwaso also trailed PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, despite a strong performance in his political base of Kano.
Born on October 21, 1956, Kwankwaso attended Kwankwaso Primary School, Gwarzo Boarding Senior Primary School, Wudil Craft School and Kano Technical College before proceeding to Kaduna Polytechnic, where he earned both a National Diploma and a Higher National Diploma. An active student leader, he was elected to the Kano State Students’ Association. He pursued postgraduate studies at Middlesex Polytechnic in the United Kingdom (1982‑83) and Loughborough University of Technology, receiving a Master’s in Water Engineering in 1985. In 2022, he obtained a PhD in Water Engineering from Sharda University, India.
Kwankwaso entered politics on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform in 1992, joining the People’s Front faction led by General Shehu Yar’adua and other prominent politicians. That year he was elected to the House of Representatives for Madobi Federal Constituency and later became Deputy Speaker, bringing him to national prominence. He served as a delegate from Kano at the 1995 Constitutional Conference, later joining the Democratic Party of Nigeria during General Sani Abacha’s transition programme. In 1998 he moved to the Peoples’ Democratic Movement (PDM) in Kano, and in 1999 he contested the PDP primaries, eventually becoming Governor of Kano State (1999‑2003). After losing re‑election in 2003, he was appointed the first civilian Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic (2003‑2007) under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He returned to the governorship in 2011, joined the APC in 2014, and was elected Senator for Kano Central (2015‑2019).
A charismatic populist with strong support in Kano and the North‑West, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully sought the APC presidential nomination in 2014, losing to Muhammadu Buhari. In July 2018 he, along with 14 APC senators, defected to the PDP and contested its presidential primaries three months later, finishing fourth behind Atiku Abubakar. He later endorsed the former vice‑president and did not seek Senate re‑election, being succeeded by ex‑Governor Ibrahim Shekarau. Kwankwaso then campaigned for his son‑in‑law Abba Yusuf’s gubernatorial bid, which failed as incumbent Governor Abdullahi Ganduje was re‑elected.
On February 22, 2022 Kwankwaso founded the National Movement as a platform against the dominance of the APC and PDP, co‑opting the NNPP as its political wing and becoming its national leader on March 30. He resigned from the PDP for the second time in eight years, citing “serious and irreconcilable differences” over the North‑West zonal leadership, after a violent clash at a PDP zonal congress in Kaduna.
In an effort to broaden his support, Kwankwaso entered talks with Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi about a possible coalition. Both hoped a merger would expand their bases in the North‑West, South‑East and among southern youths. However, the negotiations collapsed. Kwankwaso blamed the Labour Party’s “media hype” and the inability to reach a compromise, while observers noted that both leaders were unwilling to cede the presidential slot. In a Gombe stump speech he explained that the main obstacle was deciding who would become president, with each side insisting on criteria such as age, qualifications, and regional balance.
Explaining his series of defections, Kwankwaso said he joined the APC in 2015 believing it progressive, later finding the PDP “even better.” He expressed frustration with the status quo, citing insecurity and economic decline, and announced he had paid the N30 million fee for NNPP presidential nomination forms. He urged Nigerians, especially political actors, to join the NNPP, describing it as a progressive party committed to national unity, peace and a modern economy.
Kwankwaso is also known for his philanthropy through the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation, which supports education for many young people in Kano. At 66, he is rarely seen without his signature red cap—a symbol of his ambition and the “Kwankwasiyya” movement, meaning “Red Cap Revolution” in Hausa. His supporters wear the cap and have followed him through multiple party changes. Whether his defeat in the 2023 election marks the end of his presidential ambitions or a prelude to another bid in the next four years remains to be seen.
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