President Bola Tinubu and Rabiu Kwankwaso
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated former Kano State Governor and presidential running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on his 70th birthday, describing him as an influential political leader whose contributions to Kano State and Nigeria remain significant.
In a statement released on Wednesday to mark the occasion, Tinubu reflected on his long relationship with the former governor, saying their friendship had lasted for more than three decades despite belonging to different political parties.
“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, on his 70th birthday on October 21, 2026,” the President said.
Tinubu recalled that both of them first met during the 1992 National Assembly, when Kwankwaso served in the House of Representatives while he was a senator. He added that they later became governors in 1999 and worked together with other leaders to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
“Senator Kwankwaso and I have had a 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.”
The President also recalled that although they later pursued different political paths, they reunited in 2013 during the formation of the All Progressives Congress (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.”
Tinubu praised Kwankwaso’s record in public service, noting that he had served the country in several important positions.
“I must acknowledge Senator Kwankwaso’s immense contributions to Kano State and Nigeria as a two-term Governor, former Minister of Defence, former Senator, former presidential candidate, and now a presidential running mate.”
The President described Kwankwaso as “an influential figure and a progressive politician,” adding that political competition ahead of the January 2027 presidential election would not affect the respect and friendship they share.
“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 prayed for the former Kano governor’s continued good health and many more years of service to the country.
“As the former governor marks this milestone, I wish him good health, personal fulfilment, and many more years of engagement in the nation’s democratic process.”
