President Bola Tinubu has declared that his political differences with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will not diminish his personal affection for the opposition politician.
Tinubu made the declaration on Wednesday in a birthday message to Kwankwaso, who turned 70, describing him as a longstanding friend whose contributions to Nigeria’s political development remain significant.
The President, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), are now on opposing sides ahead of the January 2027 presidential election.
“That we are in different political parties and competing on different platforms in the January 2027 election will not remove my affection for Senator Kwankwaso,” Tinubu said.
The President recalled that their relationship began in 1992 when both served in the National Assembly during the aborted Third Republic. Kwankwaso was a member of the House of Representatives, while Tinubu served in the Senate.
Their political paths crossed again in 1999 when they became governors of Kano and Lagos states, respectively, at the beginning of the Fourth Republic.
Tinubu said their shared experience as members of the class of 1999 governors helped lay the foundation for Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation.
He also recalled that their political paths converged again in 2013 when they joined forces with other political leaders to establish the APC.
“Shaped by different political choices, our political paths differed until we coalesced in 2013 to form the All Progressives Congress. Since then, history and service have kept us intertwined,” the President said.
Tinubu acknowledged Kwankwaso’s service as a two-term governor of Kano State, former Minister of Defence, senator and presidential candidate, describing him as an influential figure in the country’s democratic development.
Kwankwaso contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). He is now running for vice-president alongside Peter Obi on the NDC platform, according to the report.
The President wished Kwankwaso good health and personal fulfilment, expressing hope that he would remain active in Nigeria’s democratic process for many years.
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