List Of Kano State Governors And Their Deputies (1999-Present)
This is the comprehensive list of all the Governors who have served Kano State from 1999 till date, Including their Deputies:
Governor | Deputy Governor | Took Office | Left Office | Party |
---|---|---|---|---|
Engineer (Dr.) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso | Abdullahi Umar Ganduje | May 1999 | May 2003 | PDP |
Malam Ibrahim Shekarau | Engr. Magaji Abdullahi | May 2003 | May 2007 | ANPP |
Malam Ibrahim Shekarau | Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo | May 2007 | May 2011 | ANPP |
Engineer (Dr.) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso | Abdullahi Umar Ganduje | May 2011 | May 2015 | PDP |
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje | Prof. Hafiz Abubakar | May 2015 | Aug 2018 | APC |
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje | Nasir Yusuf Gawuna | Aug 2018 | May 2023 | APC |
Abba Kabir Yusuf | Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo | May 2023 | Incumbent | NNPP |
READ ALSO: List Of Kaduna State Governors And Their Deputies (1999-Present)
Who Was The First Governor Of Kano State?
Audu Bako was the first governor of Kano State in Nigeria. He served from May 1967 to July 1975. Bako’s appointment was made during a time when Nigeria was under military rule, led by General Yakubu Gowon.
This was a period of change when Nigeria reorganized its regions into states. Kano State was formed from parts of the Northern Region as part of this new structure.
Audu Bako was born in 1924 in the Kaduna police barracks. His father was a police officer and later became a District Head.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Bako joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1942. He worked hard and climbed the ranks to become a deputy commissioner of police.
However, Bako made many changes to modernize local government. Before his time, local government was heavily influenced by traditional emirs.
Bako tried to improve the professionalism of local government employees and gave more responsibilities to the state government.
This change was meant to make the emirs focus more on their religious roles and improve how the state was run. Bako’s leadership also focused on improving infrastructure and agriculture.
He started projects like the Tiga Dam and the Bagauda Dam. These projects aimed to support farming by providing irrigation.
Bako’s efforts in this area earned him the nickname “father of Kano’s green revolution.” However, some of these projects had unexpected negative effects on the environment and local economies. After he retired in 1975, Bako went back to farming, before he passed away in 1980.
READ ALSO: List of Governors of Borno State and Their Deputies
Who Is The Current Governor Of Kano State?
The current governor of Kano State is Abba Kabir Yusuf, and he has been in office since May 29, 2023, after winning the governorship elections held on March 18, 2023.
Yusuf ran for governor as a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). He has a strong connection with Rabiu Kwankwaso, a popular figure in Kano politics.
Yusuf worked as the Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transport under Kwankwaso from 2011 to 2015. Abba Kabir Yusuf was born on January 5, 1963, in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State.
He comes from the Sullubawa Fulani clan, which is part of the ruling class of the Kano Emirate. Yusuf’s early education began with Islamic studies, and then he went on to formal schooling.
He attended Sumaila Primary School and Government Secondary School Lautai, finishing his secondary education in 1980.
For higher education, Yusuf went to Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, where he earned a National Diploma in Civil Engineering. He then obtained a Higher National Diploma in Civil Engineering from Kaduna Polytechnic.
Later, he completed a postgraduate diploma and a master’s degree in business administration from Bayero University, Kano.
Yusuf’s political career started in 1999 when he became a personal assistant to Rabiu Kwankwaso during Kwankwaso’s first term as governor.
This role continued even when Kwankwaso became a minister in 2003. Yusuf ran for governor in the 2019 elections but lost to the then-incumbent governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
He challenged the results legally, but his challenge was not successful. In 2022, Yusuf left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the NNPP.
With Kwankwaso’s support, he ran for governor again and won in 2023. He defeated Nasir Gawuna, the successor to Ganduje, amid claims of election irregularities from the opposition.
Yusuf is focusing on education. He declared a state of emergency in the education sector due to the high number of children not attending school, which is about 989,234.
His administration is working to improve schools by hiring more teachers and fixing existing school facilities to better serve students.
READ ALSO: List of Governors of Benue State and Their Deputies
Who Is The Current Deputy Governor Of Kano State?
Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo is the current Deputy Governor of Kano State, Nigeria. He started his term on May 29, 2023, after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf was elected.
Gwarzo is a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and has been very active in local governance and helping the community. Aminu Gwarzo was born in Kano State and has a background in public administration.
Before becoming Deputy Governor, he had worked in different local government roles, including serving as a local government chairman.
His work in these positions has focused on grassroots governance and community support. Gwarzo also serves as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
One of his recent efforts included organizing a three-day retreat for local government officials. This retreat aimed to provide them with guidelines and best practices to deliver better services to their communities.
However, Gwarzo’s administration has faced some challenges, including a recent issue involving allegations against the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Gwarzo apologized for his comments about Ribadu, admitting that his remarks were wrong. He made it clear that he is committed to working well with federal authorities.
Aminu Gwarzo wants to make governance in Kano State better by focusing on transparency, accountability, and involving the community.