Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, has voiced concerns about what he describes as an increasing influence from Lagos aimed at controlling the northern region of Nigeria.
Speaking during the convocation at Skyline University in Kano, Kwankwaso alleged that entities based in Lagos were interfering in Kano’s governance and economic decisions.
Kwankwaso claimed that Lagos was influencing the appointment of Kano’s emir, effectively reducing the emir’s independence by imposing directives from afar.
“Our situation here in Kano and northern Nigeria is troubling. The emir is, unfortunately, being reduced to a puppet in this difficult period for our region,” he remarked.
“Today, Lagos is determined to decide who becomes our emir and seems to exert undue control in the heart of Kano.”
The former defence minister also criticized Lagos’s role in tax-related issues. He claimed that officials from Lagos were attempting to redirect tax revenues generated in Kano back to Lagos.
“We see young officials from Lagos pushing to transfer our tax revenues there. Even phones registered in Kano face efforts to divert the taxes to Lagos,” he noted.
He added that Kano-based businesses, from factories to banks, are often pressured to relocate their headquarters to Lagos, forcing more of their taxes to flow southward.
Kwankwaso urged northern lawmakers to stay vigilant against policies or laws that might negatively impact their region.
He recalled previous instances, notably in 1999-2000, where he felt northern representatives in the National Assembly were pressured or financially persuaded to support legislation that harmed northern economies, especially concerning offshore arrangements.
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