My warm congratulations to my friend Rabiu 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 Kwankwaso and I have had a longstanding association, dating back to our time in the National Assembly in 1992, he in the House of Representatives and I in the Senate, and later in 1999 when we both emerged as governors of our 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.
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.
I must acknowledge Mr Kwankwaso’s immense contributions to Kano State and Nigeria as a two-term Governor, former Minister of Defence, former Senator, former presidential candidate, and now a presidential running mate.
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Mr Kwankwaso remains an influential figure and a progressive politician.
That we are in different political parties and competing on different platforms in the January 2027 election will not remove my affection for Mr Kwankwaso.
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.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of Nigeria
October 21, 2026
