The Kano state deputy governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has urged the U.S. Congress to remove former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from a proposed bill that seeks to impose sanctions over alleged religious persecution.
He described the claims against the former presidential candidate as unfounded and misleading.
The proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, sponsored by U.S. Reps. Riley Moore and Chris Smith, seeks sanctions against Fulani militias, including Kwankwaso named over alleged religious persecution.
In a statement, the deputy governor said the allegations against Kwankwaso were “unfounded, misleading, and inconsistent with the verifiable public record of his life and service.”
Kwankwaso has held several senior political positions over more than three decades, serving as deputy speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, two-term governor of Kano state, minister of defense, Senator and most recently a presidential candidate.
“At no time has he been indicted, prosecuted, or credibly accused of religious persecution, extremism, or human rights violations,” the deputy governor said. See more