The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has sparked controversy with allegations of economic and political colonization by Lagos against northern Nigeria.
Speaking at the convocation ceremony of Skyline University in Kano, the former Kano State governor claimed Lagos is interfering in Kano’s traditional and economic affairs, fueling tensions in the region.
Kwankwaso accused Lagos of playing a pivotal role in the emirate tussle in Kano, stating;
“Today, we can see very clearly that there is a lot of effort from the Lagos axis to colonize this part of the country. Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose an emir; they come to the heart of Kano to impose their own emir.”
He described the emir as a “stooge,” lamenting what he sees as an erosion of northern autonomy in the selection of traditional leaders.
Kwankwaso further accused Lagos of exploiting Kano’s economy through tax collection and centralisation policies.
“Even the phones we register here in Kano, efforts are made to redirect the taxes to Lagos. Factories and banks established in northern Nigeria are being forced to relocate their headquarters to Lagos, depriving us of economic control,” he said.
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The former governor alleged that these practices are draining resources from Kano and other northern states, leaving the region economically disadvantaged.
Kwankwaso urged northern lawmakers to resist policies that could harm the region’s interests, recalling past legislative decisions that allegedly disadvantaged the north.
“In 1999, our National Assembly members were bribed to pass offshore laws that severely impacted our economy—not just in northern Nigeria but across all states,” he claimed.
He also decried the growing economic disparity in the country, warning of the dangers of widening inequality.
“We see efforts to make the poor poorer and the rich richer, and I believe this is more dangerous for our nation,” Kwankwaso added.
