Hanga: My Loyalty to Kwankwasiyya Ended in Pain
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO — Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga, who represents Kano Central Senatorial District in the Senate, has expressed disappointment over his experience in the Kwankwasiyya political movement, saying his years of unwavering loyalty ultimately left him heartbroken.
Hanga’s submission in Danuwa’ Rano podcast has stirred political discussions in Kano, as the senator reflected on his relationship with the movement, lamenting what he described as the painful outcome of his steadfast commitment.
“I followed the Kwankwasiyya movement with absolute loyalty, but in the end, I was left facing the mockery of my enemies and the tears of those who cared about me,” the senator said.
Although Hanga did not directly mention any individual in the remark, the statement is widely seen as a reflection of his strained relationship with the Kwankwasiyya movement, one of Kano’s most influential political blocs founded and led by former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The comment comes against the backdrop of recent political developments involving the senator where he lost reelection ticket of Kwankwaso’s NDC to a new comer, Mr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
Hanga, a long-time ally of Kwankwaso, was elected to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) under the Kwankwasiyya movement.
However, political realignments within the movement and at the national level have since altered longstanding alliances.
Kwankwaso has since exited the NNPP and emerged as the vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a development that reshaped Kano’s political landscape and triggered fresh alignments among key political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In recent weeks, reports of disagreements between Hanga and the leadership of the Kwankwasiyya movement have intensified, fuelling speculation about the senator’s political future.
While Hanga’s latest remarks did not elaborate on the circumstances that informed his disappointment, they are likely to deepen conversations about his next political move.
The senator’s comments have attracted reactions across political circles in Kano, with pundits viewing them as one of his clearest public expressions of dissatisfaction with a movement to which he had long pledged loyalty.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Kwankwaso nor the leadership of the Kwankwasiyya movement had publicly responded to Hanga’s remarks.