Kwankwasiyya leader and chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has tackled Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over comments about the governor being his political stooge.

Kwankwaso, in a recent interview, described the governor as “Abba PA,” someone he claimed to have lifted from a low level and made governor.

Responding, Governor Yusuf recently challenged Kwankwaso, saying it was disrespectful that a 69-year-old Kwankwaso would call him a boy despite being 63 years old.

But addressing supporters at his Miller Road residence in Kano on Wednesday, Kwankwaso said even former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who served two terms as his deputy, could not deny once being his boy.

“I heard that some people said they dislike being called boys. If not for insolence, how could [former Reps] Mai Gidan Ruwa or Aminu Goro say they were not my boys politically? How could even Ganduje deny that he was once my boy?” Kwankwaso asked.

Governor Yusuf’s response was the first public rebuke of the Kwankwasiyya leader since the duo parted ways earlier this year.

The governor also commented on Kwankwaso’s frequent comments on his person, saying his silence should not be mistaken for fear.

He further asked Kwankwaso to respect himself, otherwise he would blow open some issues.

Since the governor left Kwankwaso, the former boss has accused him of betrayal, having won election under his platform, the NNPP, only to later defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).