Zainab Musa Kwankwaso, the second wife of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has reportedly instituted divorce proceedings against the governor at an Upper Area Court in Abuja, offering to return the dowry paid during their marriage.
Zainab, daughter of former Kano State Governor and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, reportedly filed a civil suit marked CV/97/26 at the Upper Area Court, Gudu, Abuja.
The court has reportedly summoned Governor Yusuf to appear on November 17, 2026, in connection with the divorce proceedings.
Zainab and Yusuf got married on July 29, 2006, when she was serving as an aide to her father. Their marriage produced six children.
The reported divorce filing comes amid an ongoing political disagreement between Governor Yusuf and his former political godfather and father-in-law, Kwankwaso.
Yusuf was elected governor in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), with significant political backing from Kwankwaso, who played a major role in his emergence.
However, their relationship reportedly deteriorated following Yusuf’s decision to defect from the NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that heightened political tensions between the two former allies.
Reports suggest that the political disagreement, which began about a year ago, has also contributed to growing tensions within the governor’s marriage.
Further reports indicate that Zainab moved out of the Kano Government House on October 28 and relocated to her father’s residence along Miller Road in Kano.
She subsequently travelled to Abuja by air without her police orderly or other security operatives.
The reported divorce proceedings represent another significant development in the strained relationship between Governor Yusuf and Kwankwaso, whose political differences have continued to attract public attention.
As of the time of filing this report, the governor had not publicly commented on the reported divorce proceedings.