President Bola Tinubu has said his political differences with former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, will not affect the relationship between them as the former minister marks his 70th birthday.
Tinubu said this in a birthday message released on Wednesday by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in which he celebrated Kwankwaso’s contributions to Nigerian politics and recalled their long-standing relationship, Naija News reports.
The president noted that their political journey began in 1992 when Kwankwaso was a member of the House of Representatives, while he served in the Senate.
According to Tinubu, their relationship continued in 1999 when both men became 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,” the president said.
Tinubu also recalled that both politicians later joined forces in 2013 to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite taking different political paths in the years before then.
“Since then, history and service have kept us intertwined,” he added.
The president praised Kwankwaso for his contributions to Kano State and Nigeria, describing him as an influential figure who has played important roles in the country’s political development.
He highlighted Kwankwaso’s time as a two-term governor of Kano State, Minister of Defence, senator and presidential candidate.
Tinubu acknowledged that both men are currently in different political parties and are competing on separate platforms ahead of the January 2027 election.
Naija News reports that Kwankwaso is the 2027 vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
However, Tinubu said their political differences would not erase the bond they had built over the years.
“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 stated.
The president wished the former Kano governor good health, personal fulfilment and many more years of service to Nigeria as he celebrates his 70th birthday.
Kwankwaso, a major political figure in Kano State, was born on October 21, 1956.
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