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Whenever the political atmosphere becomes charged, certain individuals instinctively seek relevance by making utterances that expose the true contents of their hearts. Recent developments in Kano politics have once again laid bare this familiar pattern.
We read with deep concern the media interview granted by Hon. Dr. Yusuf Bello Dambatta, former Commissioner for Economic Planning and later Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning under the Kwankwasiyya administration of Senator Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
In that interview, Dr. Dambatta made a series of denigrating, misleading, and historically inaccurate remarks against the Kwankwasiyya Movement and its loyal supporters.
Most astonishing was his attempt to portray Kwankwasiyya as a breeding ground for young people with bad attitudes. This claim is not only insulting but tragically ironic. Dr. Dambatta appears to have forgotten that he himself was the youngest commissioner produced by the Kwankwasiyya government between 2011 and 2015. Is he now denying his own political upbringing? Was he not a direct beneficiary—and product—of the very movement he now condemns?
In his effort to justify the defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from NNPP–Kwankwasiyya to APC–Gandujiyya, Dr. Dambatta relied on distorted and selective historical analogies. He cited the defection of the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi from PRP to NPP, while deliberately omitting a crucial fact: Rimi had the courage and integrity to resign his office, allowing his deputy to complete the tenure because he acknowledged that the mandate belonged to the PRP. That singular act of honour stands in sharp contrast to today’s attempt to disguise betrayal as political strategy.
He further referenced events of 2003, alleging internal conflicts and decampments involving Senator Kwankwaso. This claim is fundamentally false. There was no decamping in 2003. Senator Kwankwaso contested under the PDP, and all the individuals mentioned were members of the same party. Whether this distortion stems from ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation is left to public judgment.
His narration of the Shekarau era is equally puzzling. Malam Ibrahim Shekarau won power in 2003 under APP, which later transformed into ANPP, and retained the same platform in 2007. There was no decamping saga whatsoever.
Ironically, the only episode Dr. Dambatta cited correctly—perhaps unintentionally—was the Kwankwasiyya–Gandujiyya split, which indeed marked the true beginning of betrayal in Kano politics. It was at that moment that an anointed beneficiary turned against his political benefactor, introducing deception and treachery into the political fabric of the state.
It is therefore clear that the objective of Dr. Dambatta’s interview was not to enlighten the public, but to defame Jagora Kwankwaso. This explains his attempt to downplay the governor as a mere administrative figure while portraying Jagora as the political leader of Kano State.
We challenge this narrative directly:
Let Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf now lead APC–Gandujiyya independently. Let him restructure its political machinery. Let him assert authority over Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Senator Barau Jibrin, and their inner circle. Only then can anyone credibly speak of unified political and administrative leadership.
Dr. Dambatta’s claim that Kwankwasiyya has deviated from its ideology is both false and laughable. The movement’s core philosophy—mass education, empowerment of women, and upliftment of the downtrodden—remains intact. Those who exited did so precisely because they were uncomfortable with these values. The departure of Dr. Ganduje was driven by the ambition to create oligarchic structures and personalize public resources. The same pattern is now being repeated.
Dr. Dambatta’s assertion that he was among the founders of Kwankwasiyya raises serious credibility questions. Senator Kwankwaso entered politics in 1991, at a time when Dr. Dambatta was still in secondary school. How does one claim authorship of an ideology built around a political figure who predates one’s own political consciousness?
His open defence of Governor Abba’s defection—combined with his plea that the Governor should not join the PDP—exposes the real motive: political desperation. Having exited Kwankwasiyya and failed to establish relevance elsewhere, Dr. Dambatta now seeks to lure the governor into yet another platform in a bid to fracture Kwankwasiyya for personal gain. What he fails to realize is that the governor has merely stepped into another political trap—one whose outcome will not differ from previous betrayals.
The claim that Governor Abba moved with a strong political following is equally misleading. Prior to his nomination by Jagora Kwankwaso, he had no independent political structure. He has moved with only a handful of political jobbers—’yan aci dadi lafiya—who possess neither grassroots relevance nor voter-mobilization capacity.
Dr. Dambatta’s frustration is evident. Since leaving Kwankwasiyya, political relevance has eluded him. This perhaps explains his desperation, despite the fact that he once contested for Deputy Governor under the PDP and secured a paltry 15,000 votes in a state where Kwankwasiyya candidates routinely command over one million votes. He would do well to focus on building his own relevance rather than attacking the untouchable—Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
His accusation that Senator Kwankwaso denied them opportunities under the Jonathan administration is equally disingenuous. He ignores the prevailing atmosphere of insecurity and the widespread rejection of that administration—rejection shared by millions of Nigerians, including Dr. Dambatta himself. As the saying goes, when you point one finger, three point back at you.
The media outing of Dr. Yusuf Bello Dambatta is nothing more than a distress signal from the depths of political irrelevance—a frantic search for companionship in political doom.
History will remember those who stood firm on principle, and those who traded conscience for convenience.
•Umar, a member of Kwankwasiyya media team, writes via email.
