Abba Kabir Yusuf | |
---|---|
Governor of Kano State | |
Assumed office 29 May 2023 | |
Deputy | Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo |
Preceded by | Abdullahi Umar Ganduje |
Kano State Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport | |
In office 2011–2015 | |
Governor | Rabiu Kwankwaso |
Personal details | |
Born | Gaya, Northern Region, Nigeria (now in Kano State) | 5 January 1963
Political party | New Nigeria Peoples Party (2022–present) |
Other political affiliations | Peoples Democratic Party (1999–2022) |
Spouse | 2 |
Relations | Rabiu Kwankwaso (father-in-law)[1] |
Residence(s) | Kano, Nigeria |
Alma mater | |
Occupation |
|
Profession | Civil Engineering |
Abba Kabir Yusuf (born 5 January 1963)[2] is a Nigerian politician who has served as governor of Kano State since May 2023.[3] He served as commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport when Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso was re-elected for a second term in the executive council of Kano State from 2011 to 2015.
Early life and education
Abba Kabir Yusuf (born Abubakar, nicknamed Abba, which became his official name) was born to the sullubawa Fulani clan the ruling class of the Kano Emirate from the family of Malam Kabiru Yusuf and Malama Khadijatul-Naja'atu in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State on 5 January 1963.[4]
Yusuf started his Islamic education at an early age under the guidance of his late grandfather, Danmakwayon Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Bashari (grandson of Galadiman Kano Yusuf and great grandson of Sarkin Kano Abdullahi Maje Karofi) who was then District Head of Gaya local government area of Kano State, Nigeria.[4]
He attended Sumaila primary school between 1968 and 1975. He then proceeded to Government Secondary School Dawakin Tofa and later moved to Government Secondary school Lautai in Gumel where he completed his secondary education in 1980. He gained admission into the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi in the defunct Gongola State, now Adamawa State, where he bagged his National Diploma (ND) in Civil Engineering in 1985 and later obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Water Resources/Environmental Engineering in 1989 at the famous Kaduna Polytechnic.[5][6][4]
Yusuf later enrolled at the Bayero University, Kano, where he obtained a postgraduate diploma and a master's degree in business administration.[7]
Career
Yusuf served the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps at Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) from 1989 to 1990.[8]
He was appointed by Kano State Water Resources Engineering and Construction Agency (WRECA), where he held various positions.[4]
President Umaru Musa Yaradua, appointed him as the chairman, Governing Board of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Ondo State where he served between 2009 and 2011.[4]
Political career
In 1999, Yusuf was appointed personal assistant to Rabiu Kwankwaso while he was the governor of Kano State; he was retained as personal assistant when Kwankwaso became a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2003.[4]
Yusuf became Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport in 2011, when Kwankwaso became the governor of Kano State for a second term.[4]
In 2018, Yusuf was anointed by his boss Rabiu Kwankwaso[9][10][1] to challenge the incumbent Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 gubernatorial election because of their differences. Kwankwaso had anointed Ganduje in 2014 while he was his deputy and he won the election in 2015. Yusuf lost, and filled his case before the election tribunal.[11][12][13][14] but after all, the court dismissed the case.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
In 2022, Yusuf moved from the Peoples Democratic Party to the New Nigeria Peoples Party and was re-anointed by Kwankwaso to challenge Nasir Yusuf Gawuna in the 2023 elections. He was declared winner on 20 March 2023[22][23] and was issued his certificate of return on 29 March 2023.[24][25]
Governor of Kano State
Yusuf was elected governor of Kano State on 18 March 2023 under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party alongside Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, his running mate.[26][27][28]
They were sworn into office on 29 May 2023.[29]
Outcome of Election Tribunal
After Abba Kabir's victory, the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has challenged the victory and filed a petition to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The Tribunal Court declared Nasir Gawuna of APC as the winner of the 18 March election on Wednesday, 20 September 2023, and sacked Abba Kabir, the candidate of NNPP, from the governor of Kano State.[3] Abba challenged the decision of the election petition tribunals at the court of appeal in Abuja and The Court of Appeal in Abuja sacked Abba Yusuf as governor of Kano State, upholding the decision of the lower election petition tribunal that earlier nullified the governor's election. After the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abba Kabir approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal's verdict. On 12 January 2024, the Supreme Court in Abuja overruled the Court of Appeal's decision and affirmed Abba Kabir Yusuf as the duly elected governor of Kano State.[30]
Reinstatement of dethroned emir
On 23 May 2024, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf announced the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi, a former emir that was controversially dethroned by then-governor Umar Ganduje, as the new Emir of Kano. The governor signed the law returning him to palace at exactly 5:10pm alongside his deputy, the Speaker of the State Assembly and other principal officers in his administration.[31]
References
- ^ a b Jaafar, Jaafar (21 September 2018). "Kwankwaso may endorse son in-law, Abba Yusuf, for Kano PDP governorship ticket". Daily Nigerian. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ Mikailu, Naziru (5 April 2019). "Yadda salon Abba gida-gida ya 'rikita' siyasar Kano". BBC News Hausa (in Hausa). BBC News. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Tribunal Sacks NNPP's Abba Kabir As Kano Governor". Channels TV. 20 September 2023. p. 1. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Onye, Harry (20 March 2023). "Abba Kabir Yusuf: Biography, age, Kano State Governor-elect, wife, net worth". Kemi Filani News. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Kano State Governor". nggovernorsforum.org. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "CLOSE-UP: Yusuf Abba, Kwankwaso's PA and son-in-law who will be governor of Kano". TheCable. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ Muhammad, A. Aliyu (20 March 2023). "Who is Abba Kabir Yusuf? Nine Facts About the Governor-elect of Kano State". Okay. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf". AllNews. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Kwankwaso justifies choice of in-law as governorship aspirant". Premium Times. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ Abdulhamid, Abdulyassar (20 March 2023). "What you should know about NNPP's Abba Gida-Gida, Kano governor-elect". Daily Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ "Governor Ganduje a product of rigged election – Abba Kabir Yusuf". TODAY. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Kano election: PDP's Kabir Yusuf reject governorship result". TODAY. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, Kano PDP governorship candidate Wins". The Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ Opejobi, Seun (13 March 2019). "Kano guber: I will win governorship rerun – Kwankwaso's son-in-law, Abba Kabir". Daily Post. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Abba Gida Gida will reclaim his stolen mandate in Court -Kano PDP chairman". Blueprint. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ Ja'afar, Lateefa Mustapha (2 October 2019). "Kano: Kotu ta kori karar Abba gida-gida na PDP" (in Hausa). DW. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Ganduje v Kabir Yusuf: Security beefed up in Kano ahead of tribunal judgment". P.M. News. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Ganduje vs Kabir-Yusuf: 785 witnesses to testify before Kano Tribunal". P.M. News. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ Adewale, Murtala (5 March 2019). "Court nullifies Kano PDP guber primary, orders fresh election". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Odogwu, Ted (5 March 2019). "Court ruling: I'm Kano PDP gov candidate, Abba Yusuf insists". The Punch. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Usman, Mustapha (20 January 2020). "Abba: After Supreme Court, there is judgement of Allah". Daily Nigerian. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ Garko, Aminu (20 March 2023). "Kano Guber: INEC Declares NNPP's Abba as Winner". News Agency of Nigeria. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Oloyede, Clement A. (20 March 2023). "INEC Declares NNPP Winner of Kano gov'ship election". Daily Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ Nwaokolo, Sandra (29 March 2023). "Kano Gov-elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf, receives certificate of return". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ Usman, Mustapha (29 March 2023). "Kano Governor-elect receives Certificate of Return, promises people-oriented governance". Daily Nigerian. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ "Watch moment INEC declared Abba Kabir Yusuf winner of Kano governorship election". Vanguard. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Bolaji, Samuel (20 March 2023). "INEC declares NNPP's Abba Yusuf as Kano gov election winner". The Punch. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Pai, Bilkisu Halilu (20 March 2023). "INEC declares Abba Yusuf as Governor Elect for Kano state". Voice of Nigeria. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ "Photo News: Abba Kabir Yusuf sworn in as Kano Governor". 29 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "Breaking: Supreme Court Overrules Appeal Court, Affirms NNPP's Abba Kabir Yusuf As Kano Governor". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ Ibrahim, Salim Umar (23 May 2024). "Kano Gov Announces Return Of Sanusi As Emir - Daily Trust". Daily Trust. Retrieved 29 August 2024.