Kano Governor Abba Yusuf’s Second Wife, Zainab Kwankwaso, Files For Divorce, Offers To Refund Dowry

The divorce filing comes amid a prolonged political fallout between Governor Yusuf and his former political mentor and father-in-law, Senator Kwankwaso, whose political influence played a significant role in Yusuf’s emergence as governor.

The second wife of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, Zainab Musa Kwankwaso, has reportedly filed for divorce at an Upper Area Court in Abuja, offering to refund the dowry paid on her behalf.

Zainab, a daughter of former Kano State Governor and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, instituted a civil suit against the governor at the Upper Area Court in Gudu, Abuja, with case reference number CV/97/26.

Daily Nigerian reports that Governor Yusuf has been summoned to appear before the court on November 17, 2026, in connection with the divorce proceedings.

Zainab married Yusuf on July 29, 2006, when she was reportedly working as an aide to her father, who was then a prominent political figure in Kano State.

The divorce filing comes amid a prolonged political fallout between Governor Yusuf and his former political mentor and father-in-law, Senator Kwankwaso, whose political influence played a significant role in Yusuf’s emergence as governor.

Yusuf was elected governor in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), with the backing of Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya political movement.

However, the relationship between the two political allies deteriorated following Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that deepened the political crisis within the Kwankwasiyya camp.

The disagreement, which reportedly began about a year ago, is said to have extended beyond politics and contributed to tensions within the governor’s family, with sources linking the political estrangement to the reported breakdown of the marriage.

In another development, Zainab reportedly left the Kano State Government House on October 28, 2026, and relocated to her father’s residence on Miller Road, Kano.

She subsequently travelled to Abuja by air without her police orderly or other security personnel attached to her, according to the report.

Her reported departure from the Government House came against the backdrop of the worsening relationship between her husband and her father.