President Bola Tinubu has congratulated former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on his 70th birthday, recalling their longstanding political relationship dating back to their time in the National Assembly in 1992.
Mr Tinubu, in a statement issued by the State House on Wednesday, acknowledged Mr Kwankwaso’s contributions to Kano State and Nigeria, describing him as an influential figure and a progressive politician.
The president said their political paths had crossed at different stages of their careers, including their emergence as governors in 1999 and their collaboration in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013.
“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,” Mr Tinubu said.
He recalled that their relationship began when both men served in the National Assembly, with Mr Kwankwaso representing Kano in the House of Representatives and himself serving in the Senate.
According to the president, their political association continued in 1999 when they emerged as governors of their 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,” he said.
Mr Tinubu noted that although their political choices later diverged, they reunited in 2013 to form the APC, which went on to defeat the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 general election.
“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,” he said.
The president praised Mr Kwankwaso’s political career, highlighting his two terms as governor of Kano State, his tenure as minister of defence, his service as senator representing Kano Central and his participation in presidential elections.
He also referred to Mr Kwankwaso’s role as a presidential running mate, acknowledging his continued involvement in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“Senator Kwankwaso remains an influential figure and a progressive politician,” Mr Tinubu said.
The president’s congratulatory message comes as both politicians belong to different political parties and are associated with competing political platforms ahead of the 2027 general election.
Mr Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), remains a prominent political figure in Kano and the wider North-West region.
Mr Tinubu said their political differences would not diminish his personal affection for the former governor.
“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,” he said.
The president wished Mr Kwankwaso good health, personal fulfilment and many more years of participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
“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,” Mr Tinubu said.
Mr Kwankwaso, who served as Kano State governor from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015, remains one of the most influential political figures in the state.