Water engineer, deputy speaker, two-time governor of Kano, defence minister and senator — Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso leads one of the most loyal political movements in Northern Nigeria, the red-capped Kwankwasiyya. For 2027 he is Peter Obi’s running mate.
Quick facts
| Full name | Mohammed Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 October 1956, Kwankwaso, Madobi LGA, Kano State |
| Former offices | Governor of Kano (1999–2003 and 2011–2015); Minister of Defence (2003–2007); Senator, Kano Central (2015–2019); Deputy Speaker (1992–1993) |
| Party | Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), since 2026 |
| Education | ND and HND, Kaduna Polytechnic; postgraduate studies, Middlesex Polytechnic; master’s in civil (water) engineering, Loughborough University (1985) |
| Movement | Kwankwasiyya (red caps) |
| 2027 | NDC vice-presidential candidate, running mate to Peter Obi |
Early life and education
Kwankwaso was born in the village of Kwankwaso in Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State. His father was a traditional ruler in the area. He trained as an engineer at Kaduna Polytechnic and then in the United Kingdom, at Middlesex Polytechnic and Loughborough University, where he earned a master’s degree in water engineering in 1985.
Seventeen years as a water engineer
From 1975 he worked for the Kano State Water Resources and Engineering Construction Agency for 17 years, rising to principal water engineer. That technical background is still part of his image: a practical man of projects.
Deputy Speaker in the Third Republic
He entered politics with the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s People’s Front, and in 1992 was elected to the House of Representatives for Madobi under the SDP, becoming Deputy Speaker. The Third Republic legislature was dissolved after the 1993 military takeover.
Governor of Kano — twice
Kwankwaso won the Kano governorship in 1999 on the PDP platform but lost his re-election bid in 2003 to Ibrahim Shekarau. President Obasanjo then appointed him Minister of Defence (2003–2007). He returned as governor in 2011 and served until 2015.
His second term is remembered especially for education: he sponsored thousands of young Kano indigenes to study abroad — in Nigeria’s largest state scholarship scheme of its kind — and built new institutions including universities, alongside roads and housing estates. Critics accused him of heavy-handed politics and questioned the cost of some projects.
Senate, party changes and the 2023 race
Kwankwaso joined the APC in 2013–2014 as part of the “new PDP” bloc and came second to Muhammadu Buhari in the APC presidential primary in December 2014. He was elected Senator for Kano Central in 2015, returned to the PDP in 2018, and in 2022 took his movement to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). As NNPP presidential candidate in 2023 he received nearly 1.5 million votes and finished fourth, while his party won the Kano governorship with his protégé — and son-in-law — Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The Kwankwasiyya movement
Kwankwasiyya is the political movement built around him, famous for its red caps and white clothing. It runs a foundation that has continued to sponsor students abroad after he left office. Its strength in Kano gives him a solid bloc of votes that any presidential coalition values.
