Abba Kabir Yusuf: Former PA who rose through the ranks to become Kano Governor

Abba Kabir Yusuf is a Nigerian politician whose story is inspiring. He was the Personal Assistant of former Kano State governor and presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwakwanso. Today, Yusuf is the governor of Kano State, an inspiring achievement considering his political background.

His achievement is one to be emulated and this is why Skabash! presents his biography.

Table of Content hide 1Abba Kabir Yusuf biography 2Abba Kabir Yusuf career 3Abba Kabir Yusuf politics 4Abba Kabir Yusuf net worth 5Bbba Kabir Yusuf family 6Abba Kabir Yusuf’s age 7Conclusion

Abba Kabir Yusuf biography

Abubakar Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida Gida, was born on January 5, 1963, to the family of Malam Kabiru Yusuf and Malama Khadijatul-Naja’atu in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State. He began his Islamic education at an early age under the guidance of his late grandfather, the Danmakwayon Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Bashari, who was the then-District Head of Gaya LGA.

From 1968 to 1975, Yusuf attended Sumaila Primary School. After his primary education, he attended Government Secondary School, Dawakin Tofa, but later moved to Government Secondary School, Lautai, in Gumel, situated in present-day Jigawa State. He completed his secondary education in 1980.

Yusuf attended Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, in the defunct Gongola State, now Adamawa State, where he bagged his National Diploma (ND) in Civil Engineering in 1985. In 1989, he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Civil Engineering with a specialisation in Water Resources/Environmental Engineering at Kaduna Polytechnic. Yusuf later went to Bayero University, Kano, where he graduated with a postgraduate diploma and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), respectively.

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Abba Kabir Yusuf career

Yusuf began his career when he served in the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps at Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) from 1989 to 1990. He was employed by the Kano State Water Resources Engineering and Construction Agency (WRECA), where he held various positions.

In 2009, Yusuf was appointed as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Ondo State by the then-Nigerian President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He served for two years in that position.

Abba Kabir Yusuf politics

Yusuf was appointed as Personal Assistant to the then Kano State Governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, and later Special Assistant (Administration) between 1999 – 2003. From 2003 to 2006, he worked with Kwankwaso again as his Personal Assistant when the former governor was appointed Minister of Defence.

Yusuf also served as the Special Assistant to the Special Adviser to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Darfur/Somalia until 2007. He was appointed as the First Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the Kano State Governor when Kwankwaso returned for a second term in office. The former governor’s PA was later appointed the state’s Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport.

Yusuf came into the Nigerian political limelight when he contested in the 2019 Kano governorship election under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). He contested against the immediate past governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, but the election was declared inconclusive. He later lost to Ganduje in the rerun election. His petition against Ganduje’s victory was dismissed at the election tribunal.

In 2022, Yusuf left the PDP and joined his former boss, Kwankwaso, in the  New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Kwankwaso endorsed Yusuf’s ambition to challenge the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, for the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kano State. During the campaign season, Yusuf was rumoured to have requested a N1,000 donation from members of the general public in September 2022 to fund his campaign. However, his aide, Sanusi Bature, denied the rumour in a statement.

The statement read: “We wish to inform the good people of Kano State, particularly members of our great party, the NNPP, to disregard the content of the video as a mere campaign of calumny orchestrated by some ill-behaved individuals within the opposition political circle.

“It is worth noting that His Excellency is aware of the existence of FRIENDS OF ABBA GIDA GIDA as a group of his associates from various Nigerian universities, other higher institutions, legal professionals and those from the business community who organised themselves with the sole purpose of promoting good governance and democracy in which they found in him (Abba Gida Gida) a worthy ambassador.

“Thus, by this press statement, His Excellency wishes to make it categorically clear that he has never initiated any fundraising for his 2023 campaign activities which are yet to pick up.”

On March 20, 2023, Yusuf was declared the winner of the election and was issued a certificate of return on March 29, 2023. On May 29, 2023, he was sworn in as the Governor of Kano State, alongside his running mate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo. This makes Yusuf the second water engineer to be Governor of Kano State in the Fourth Republic.

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Abba Kabir Yusuf net worth

Yusuf reportedly has an estimated net worth of $2 million, according to multiple media reports.

Bbba Kabir Yusuf family

Yusuf’s family background can be traced to the Sullubawa part of the Genewa clan of the Fulani. From his maternal side, Yusuf is related to Walin Zazzau Sheikh Umarul Wali Ibn Galadiman Zazzau Malam Ahmadu. His paternal grandmother is Zainab Ibna Malam Saidu Imam Huggulawa, who was from the family of Huggulawa in Bichi. Yusuf’s maternal grandmother is Khadijat Naja’atu from the family of Gwani Mukhtar.

Gwani Mukhtar was famous for being the leader of the Fulani Jihad in the Kanem Bornu empire. Meanwhile, Yusuf posted a photo of his mother blessing him during his 60th birthday.

In addition, Yusuf is married to Hajiya Maryam Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. She is the niece of former Kano State governor, Kwankwaso. This means Yusuf is not just Kwankwaso’s former PA, he is also the former governor’s nephew-in-law. However, some reports claim that Maryam is Kwankwaso’s daughter. Either way, Yusuf and Rabiu Kwankwaso are related through marriage. Yusuf and Maryam share four children.

Abba Kabir Yusuf’s age

Yusuf is 60 years old, as of 2023.

Conclusion

Abba Kabir Yusuf is a staunch Kwankwasiyya movement loyalist. Many expect that he would get even for the movement, having ensured that Ganduje’s anointed candidate did not emerge as governor. But the new governor has since declared that he will be a man for himself, not tied to Kwankwaso’s apron. He, however, noted that he will take some advice from his former boss.

He said: “He (Kwankwaso) will never interfere in my work. Secondly, if he interferes, in terms of advice, I know that where I go correctly he will encourage me to put in more and where I go wrong he will correct me and tell me what to do. But as far as issues of governance are concerned, believe me, sincerely he is not going to interfere.”

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