Rabiu Kwankwaso

Engr. Rabi'u Musa
FNSE
Nigerian Senator from Kano Central
In office
11 June 2015 – present
Preceded by Bashir Garba Lado
Governor of Kano State[1]
In office
29 May 2011 – 29 May 2015
Deputy Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
Preceded by Ibrahim Shekarau
Succeeded by Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
Minister of Defense[2] of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
In office
July 2003 – 2007
Preceded by Theophilus Danjuma
Succeeded by Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi
Governor of Kano State
In office
29 May 1999 – 29 May 2003
Deputy Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
Preceded by Aminu Isa Kontagora
Succeeded by Ibrahim Shekarau
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
January 1992 – 17 November 1993
Personal details
Born (1956-10-21) 21 October 1956
Kwankwaso Village, Madobi, Kano State, Nigeria
Nationality Nigerian
Political party People's Democratic Party (PDP)
Spouse(s) Hamisu Kano (2000–present)
Relations Musa Kwankwaso (father)
Children Kasim, Yasir, Tasi'u, Yauta, Ashow, Ibrahim, Emir
Residence Dakasore, Falgore
Alma mater Loughborough University of Technology
Occupation Contractor
Profession Engineer
Kano State in Nigeria

Engineer Rabi'u Musa popularly knows as Rabiu Kwankwaso is a Nigerian politician from Kano state. He was two times Governor of Kano State from 1999–2003 and 2011–2015.[3] He was the first governor of Kano State in the fourth republic who was elected under the platform of People's Democratic Party (PDP). Kwankwaso lost re-election bid in 2003 to Ibrahim Shekarau and was in July same year appointed Defense Minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 2015, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully contested the presidential primaries nomination under the opposition All Progressive Congress, but lost to Muhammad Buhari. He then swap to contest the senatorial seat for Kano Central Senatorial District.

Early life and education

Kwankwaso was born on 21 October 1956 in Kwankwaso village of Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State. He attended Kwankwaso Primary School, Gwarzo Boarding Senior Primary School, Wudil Craft School and Kano Technical College before proceeding to Kaduna Polytechnic where he did both his National Diploma, and Higher National Diploma. He did postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom a Middlesex Polytechnic (1982-1983) and Loughborough University of Technology (1983 -1985) where he got his master's degree in Water Engineering. Kwankwaso was an active student leader during his school days and was an elected official of the Kano State Students Association.

Career

Kwankwaso started work in 1975 at the Kano State Water Resources and Engineering Construction Agency (WRECA), serving as a civil servant for 17 years in various capacities and rising through the ranks as the principal engineer.

In 1992, Kwankwaso was elected as a member of House of Representatives representing Madobi Federal Constituency. His subsequent election as Deputy Speaker in the House brought him to the limelight of national politics. He belonged to the Peoples Front faction of the SDP Led by General Shehu Yar'adua.[4]

During the 1995 Constitutional Conference, Kwankwaso was elected as one of the delegates from Kano, as a member of the Peoples Democratic Movement led by Yar'adua. He joined the PDP in 1998 under the platform of Peoples Democratic Movement in Kano led by Mallam Musa Gwadabe, Senator Hamisu Musa and Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila.[4] He defected to the People's Democratic Party on July 24, 2018.[5]

Governor

Kwankwaso was elected as the Executive Governor of the northern Nigerian state of Kano between 1999 and 2003, under the flag of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). He contested the PDP's primaries in 1999 against Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Engr.Mukthari Zimit, Alhaji Kabiru Rabiu. The Santsi/P.S.P. were behind the candidature of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje but they lost to Kwankwaso in the primaries.The Committee that conducted the primaries included Tony Momoh as Chairman other members were Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila and Senator Bala Tafidan Yauri. He lost re-election to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau whom he removed from the highest civil service position of permanent secretary to a lecturer in a higher institution (College of Arts and Science, Kano). His tenure as the Governor of Kano State was very eventful because of several other groups who were opposed to his high handed governorship and his attempt at supporting president Obasanjo who hails from a different tribal group. His party the PDP also became split between his supporters and those who opposed him.

Kwankwaso was subsequently appointed as the Minister of Defence in President Olusegun Obasanjo's cabinet in 2003. In 2007, he was appointed as the Presidential Special Envoy to Somalia and Darfur by the Obasanjo administration after losing the bid from his party to contest the 2007 general governorship election. He continued to use his influence at the Federal level to undermine his opponents especially the Kano State Government. He resigned his ministerial position to contest the election in 2007 but he lost because he had been indicted by a Government White Paper.The Deputy Gubnetorial Candidate of the party Alhaji Ahmed Garba Bichi replaced him as the Gubernatorial Candidate of the party in the 2007 elections while Engr. Abubakar Jibrin Mohammed contested for the Deputy Gubnetorial Post.[6][7][8]

Kwankwaso was reelected for a second term as Kano state Governor on 26 April 2011 and sworn in on 29 May, 2011.[9] He won with a difference of sixty three thousand plus votes, his party won three quarters of the house of assembly seats, by winning 30 out of the total 40 seats in the state. During his time as the Governor he sponsored over 7000 students to study abroad across different discipline and level from undergraduates and postgraduate. On 26 November he was among five PDP governors who defected to the new opposition party APC, and formed a PDP splinter group in August known as the G-7.

In 2015, Kwankwaso contested the APC Presidential primaries but lost to Muhammadu Buhari. He was elected to the Senator for Kano State Central Senatorial District Seat on 2 March 2015.

Indicted By Kano State

On March 9, 2004, the Chief Judge of Kano state swore in the six-member commission of Inquiry which was headed by Hon. Justice Ahmed Badamasi as chairman to inquire the activities of Kwankwaso. The commission commenced sitting March 19, 2004 and made its report available and for the government to issue the white paper by November, 2004, when he was indicted.[6][10]

EFCC Investigates Kwankwaso

On July 2, 2015, justice Mohammed Yahaya of the Kano High Court had restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) from arresting or restraining Kwankwaso in its investigation for alleged misappropriation of N10 billion pension funds while serving as Kano State governor.[11]

But two weeks later on July 16, 2015, the same judge in the Kano High Court voided his earlier order and granted the EFCC a judgemment to enables the commission to investigate, arrest and prosecute Kwankwaso.[12] Justice Muhammed Yahaya also fined N50,000 against Kwankwaso for "time-wasting."

Justice Yahaya Muhammed also directed the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to investigate counsel to Kwankwaso, Barrister Okechuwku Nwaeze, for alleged misrepresentation and overzealousness in the suit.

References

  1. ↑ List of Governors of Kano State
  2. ↑ Ministry of Defence (Nigeria)
  3. ↑ Bisalla, Suleiman M. (11 January 2011). "Kwankwaso, Yuguda, Albishir win tickets". Daily Trust. Abuja: Media Trust Ltd. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  4. 1 2 Mustapha, Jamil. Kwankwasiyya- Leadershi[p with #purpose. ISBN 9789331533.
  5. ↑ "Update: Names of APC senators who defected to PDP - Vanguard News". Vanguard News. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  6. 1 2 "Kano guber: Kwankwaso faces legal battle | Ghanamma.com". www.ghanamma.com. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  7. ↑ Haushi!, Bahaushe Mai Ban (2011-06-08). "Bahaushe Mai Ban Haushi!: The best revenge for Kwankwaso". Bahaushe Mai Ban Haushi!. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  8. ↑ Awu, Jerry (2004-02-18). "Nigeria: Contingency Fund Fraud Ex-Kano Gov, Others to Refund N3b". Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  9. ↑ Sulaimon Olanrewaju and Olayinka Olukoya (28 April 2011). "GOV ELECTION: The winners are Ajimobi, Fashola, Amaechi, Amosun, Abdulfatah, Akpabio, Aliyu, Dakingari, Orji, Chime, Kwankwaso..." Nigerian Tribune. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "EFCC Vs Kwankwaso". www.gamji.com. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  11. ↑ Akinloye, Dimeji. "Kwankwaso: Court stops EFCC from arresting ex-governor over N10bn embezzlement". Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  12. ↑ "Court Dismisses Kwankwaso's Suit To Stop Arrest By EFCC - NewsRescue.com". newsrescue.com. Retrieved 2017-12-22.

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