In 1992, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was serving as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Nigeria. During that period, he brought along a 29-year-old young man who had worked under him in the Water Resources Department during the 1980s, and appointed him as his Personal Assistant (P.A).
In 1999, after Kwankwaso had continued his political struggle since 1992, that same young man had returned to work in the Water Resources sector. Unexpectedly, Kwankwaso won the governorship election in Kano State, and once again he sought out the young man and reappointed him as his P.A, this time as the Personal Assistant to the Governor.
In 2003, after Kwankwaso lost his re-election bid, the Federal Government appointed him as Nigeria’s Minister of Defence. Kwankwaso still did not abandon the young man; instead, he took him along to Abuja and appointed him as his Special Assistant (S.A).
In 2007, after Kwankwaso left the Ministry of Defence, Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as Special Envoy to Somalia and Darfur. Again, Kwankwaso continued to move with the young man as his close aide and trusted right-hand man.
In 2009, under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Umaru Musa Yar’Adua appointed Kwankwaso as the representative of the North-West region. Kwankwaso once again continued working closely with the young man as his right-hand man. In that same year, Kwankwaso secured a federal appointment for him, and fortunately, the late Yar’Adua appointed him as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Ondo State.
In 2011, Kwankwaso returned and became Governor of Kano State for the second time. Once again, he brought back the young man and handed him the position of Commissioner in one of the major ministries.
In 2019, after Kwankwaso completed his tenure as governor in 2015, the young man had stepped back from politics until 2018, when Kwankwaso brought him forward again and declared that he would contest for governor under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This decision caused Kwankwaso to lose some allies and supporters, as many believed he had chosen someone who was not experienced or capable enough. The election was conducted, victory was initially declared, then it was announced as inconclusive, and eventually Abdullahi Umar Ganduje retained his seat.
In 2023, Kwankwaso once again brought forward the same young man and insisted that he would be the candidate. Due to the lack of a solid political structure within the PDP to support him, Kwankwaso left the party and joined a relatively small and lesser-known party called the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), together with his supporters. He once again ensured that the young man secured the ticket. The election was held, victory was achieved, and the young man eventually became the Governor of Kano State.
History can be inspiring to hear. However, sadly, after this young man became governor, within just two years the story began to take a different and unpleasant turn from the end of 2025 into 2026.
