Rabiu Kwankwaso, FNSE, FNIQS (born 21 October 1956, Age: 68 years old) is a Nigerian politician best known as the former Governor of Kano state from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015, as well as the national leader and presidential candidate under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwso is one of those amazing leaders who doesn’t see only the way to victory but also knows when victory is impossible. Many who love him see him as a supersonic person whose achievements speak before his sound. Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso has more interesting facts you may not have heard before.
Date Of Birth:
Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwso was born on 21st October 1956 at Kwankwaso town in Madobi Local Government of Kano state. Rabiu Musa is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and was re-elected for a second term as Governor on 26 April 2011.
Education:
He attended his Primary School at Gwarzo Boarding Senior Primary School and his secondary education at Wudil Craft School and Kano Technical College. He later acquired a National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Civil Engineering from Kaduna Polytechnic, PGD and M.Sc in Water Engineering from Middlesex and Loughborough Universities in the UK, Doctor of Science (+/ons) from the University of Maiduguri.
Educational Qualifications
| S/N | Name of School | Year | Degree/Qualification Obtained |
| 1. | Kwankwaso Primary School | N/A | Primary School |
| 2. | Gwarzo Boarding Senior Primary School | N/A | First School Leaving Certificate |
| 3. | Wudi Craft School | N/A | Secondary School |
| 4. | Kano Technical College | N/A | SSCE/WAEC/O’level Certificate |
| 5. | Kaduna Polytechnic | N/A | ND/HND in Civil Engineering |
| 6. | Middlesex Polytechnic, United Kingdom | 1982-1983 | M.Sc in Water Engineering |
| 7. | Loughborough University of Technology, United Kingdom | 1985 | Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering |
| 8. | Sharda University India | 2022 | Ph.D. in Civil Engineering |
Family:
Rabiu is married with 8 children. He sacked his first wife following his victory in the 1999 polls and got married to his current wife Salamatu Rabiu Musa in 2000 who became the first lady of Kano State. If this is the case, does it really mean they were waiting for a win desperately? We wonder what would have happened if he didn’t win at that time. In addition to that, Rabiu is blessed with 8 children.
See Also: 10 Fascinating Facts You Must Know About General Muhammadu Buhari
First Move into Politics:
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso joined politics in 1992. He served the Kano State Government as a civil servant for about 17 years and later became the Principal Engineer. He left the state civil service in 1992, vied for election into the Federal House of Representatives, and was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He also became a Delegate to the Constitutional Conference in 1994.
Later Political Career:
Rabiu Kwankwaso served as the Executive Governor of Kano state between 1999 and 2003, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He pursued to be re-elected and lost 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).
After he lost the 2003 election, he was appointed as Minister of Defence in the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 2003 – 2006 and also as Special Adviser to the President on Darfur and Somalia in 2006 – 2007. Afterward, he became the Representative of the North-West geopolitical zone in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) from 2009 – 2010. achieved the big goal. In 2011, he achieved a big goal as he was re-elected as Kano state governor on 27 April 2011.
Memberships
He was a member of the People’s Front faction of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by General Shehu Yar’adua and other popular politicians such as his former boss Senator Magaji Abdullahi, Babagana Kingibe, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Tony Anenih, Chuba Okadigbo, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Abubakar Koko and Lamidi Adedibu amongst others. Below is a list of the political parties he has been a member of over the years.
- Peoples Front of Nigeria (1989)
- Social Democratic Party (1989–1993)
- All Progressives Congress (2014–2018)
- Peoples Democratic Party (1998–2014; 2018–2022)
- New Nigeria Peoples Party (2022-Present)
Controversy:
Rabiu Kwankwaso has courted some controversies. He was accused of denying Malam Ibrahim Shekarau (ex-governor of Kano state whom he lost his office to in the 2003 election) his pension benefits, as claimed by Sule Ya’u Sule who said his principal’s entitlements were denied.
First Tenure Achievements:
Kwankwaso made some achievements while he served as the governor of Kano State. Not many of us know that the United Nations once recognized his effort for introducing Free Feeding for Primary School Students in his first tenure. He also achieved a lot in the areas of Education, Rural Electrification, and Health, and established a State University of Technology at Wudil.
His electrification program in the rural areas recorded great success and was able to give the Federal Government a property that was converted to the Nigerian Law School at Bagauda. He built a number of bridges in the rural areas and introduced a free natal program for pregnant mothers. Despite all this, his bid to be re-elected in the next election failed in 2003.
Attributes:
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso can be said to be a strict and mean person. If he does not like you, there shouldn’t be any need to hide it. He is a bold man who expresses exactly how he feels without concealing any.
Did you know that he persistently ignored President Goodluck Jonathan during an award or gala night that was organized by the National Council of Women Societies in collaboration with the office of the First Lady?
He declined to join other governors, who were on the same table with him when they all walked to the President’s table to exchange pleasantries with him; his wife, Patience; Sambo and his wife, Amina. He also intentionally refused to recognize the presence of the President by remaining seated during the presentation of awards to the governors.
While other governors had handshakes with the president when stepping down the podium to their seats after being presented with an award Rabiu Kwankwaso snapped his eyes away from the president and went to his seat.
Family Scandal:
Rabiu’s first son, Mustapha was once reported to have fought his stepmother – his father’s wife. The report says Mustapha has on several occasions been involved in a verbal fight with his father’s wife concerning his habitual drug intake just before the physical fight. While some people took it to be a bunch of lies, some others believed it actually happened, it’s not for us to say how true this story is.
Present Political Stance:
Rabiu Kwankwaso urges Nigerians to act like Malawians by making Goodluck Jonathan lose the 2015 election as the Malawian president lost the recent presidential election that took place in Malawi. This was gathered from his statement in an interview when he made the following statement “Nigerians will do to them what the Malawians did to their government, they will be shocked”. He went further to say ‘We will Malawi them in 2015″.
In 2015, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully contested the presidential primaries nomination under the opposition All Progressives Congress but lost to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2018, he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and contested the presidential primaries, losing to Atiku Abubakar. In 2023, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully ran for President of Nigeria under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, receiving 6.23% of the vote.
FAQs
Who is Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso?
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is a Nigerian politician who served as the governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015. He was also appointed as the first Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic with no prior military background from 2003 to 2007, under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He was later elected to the Senate, serving one term under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kano Central Senatorial District. He served as the national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party but was expelled from the party due to some internal disputes.
He was allegedly involved in anti-party activities and misappropriation of party campaign funds. In 2011, he was re-elected governor of the state and went on to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014. In 2015, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully contested the presidential primaries nomination under the opposition All Progressives Congress but lost to Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2018, he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and contested the presidential primaries, losing to Atiku Abubakar. In 2023, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully ran for President of Nigeria under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, receiving 6.23% of the vote.
How Many Children Does Rabiu Kwankwaso Have?
Rabiu Kwankwaso has Eight children including A’isha Kwankwaso, Al-Amin Kwankwaso, and Mustapha Kwankwaso.
How Old is Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso?
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is 68 years old. He was born on 21st October 1956.
Where is Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso From?
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is from Kano State, Nigeria. He was born into a Sunni Muslim Fulani family of the Genawa Fulani Clan. His father held the position of the village head of Kwankwaso with the title of Sarkin Fulani Dagacin Kwankwaso before being elevated to the position of the District Head of Madobi with the title of Majidadin Kano, Hakimin Madobi by the Kano Emirate Council under the leadership of the 13th Fulani Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero CFR, LLD, JP.
Where Does Rabiu Kwankwaso Live Now?
Rabiu Kwankwaso lives in Kano State, Nigeria. He was a presidential candidate in the 2023 Nigerian general election under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, receiving 6.23% of the vote.
Who is Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Wife?
Rabiu Kwankwaso is married to Salamatu Rabiu Musa, they got married in 2000.