A LEGACY IN MOTION KALU OKORONKWO pays tribute to Rabiu Kwankwaso, Vice Presidential candidate of the NDC, at 70 At 70, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Ph.D, former Governor of Kano State and Vice Presidential KALU OKORONKWO pays tribute to Rabiu Kwankwaso, Vice Presidential candidate of the NDC, at 70 At 70, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Ph.D, former Governor of Kano State and Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, represents one of the most intriguing figures in Nigeria’s political space: a politician whose influence is deeply rooted in the political soil of Kano, whose ambitions and alliances have repeatedly drawn him into the wider contest over Nigeria’s future.
His journey from engineering and public service administration to the governorship of his home state of Kano, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Defence and presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, offers more than a personal chronicle of political survival.
It tells a story about power, loyalty, grassroots organisation and the challenge of translating regional political capital into a national leadership.
Perhaps one of the most revealing assessments of Kwankwaso’s political journey came from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his goodwill message to the former Kano state governor on his 70th birthday.
In a statement issued on October 21, 2026, Tinubu acknowledged Kwankwaso’s contributions as a two-term governor, former Minister of Defence, senator and presidential candidate, describing him as an influential figure and a progressive politician. In a seven-paragraph tribute, Tinubu stated: “My warm congratulations to my friend, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State, one time Minister of Defence and former Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District. Senator Kwankwaso and I have longstanding association, dating back to our time in the National Assembly in 1992; he in the House of Representatives and I in the Senate, and later in 1999 when we both emerged as governors of our respective states. “As members of the Class of ‘99 Governors, we both played pivotal roles in laying the foundation for the democracy the nation enjoys today.
MSEApp News is publishing an original rewrite of this tip for readers, based on reporting associated with THISDAY.