Zainab Musa Kwankwaso, the second wife of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and daughter of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has approached an Upper Area Court sitting in Gudu, Abuja, seeking the dissolution of her 20-year marriage to the governor under Islamic law.
The application, filed under suit number CV/97/26, seeks the dissolution of the marriage through Khul’i, an Islamic legal procedure that allows a woman to seek a divorce, usually in exchange for compensation or the return of the dowry paid by her husband.
According to court documents obtained by Daily Nigerian, the court has summoned Governor Yusuf to appear before it on November 17, 2026, in connection with the divorce proceedings.
Zainab and Yusuf married on July 29, 2006, when the governor was serving as an aide to her father, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The marriage has produced six children.
In her particulars of claim, Zainab attributed her decision to seek a divorce to the breakdown of their marital relationship, alleging a persistent lack of mutual care, love, affection and emotional attachment between them.
She maintained that she had lost her love and affection for the governor and developed a deep-seated aversion to continuing the marriage.
According to the application, Zainab expressed concern that remaining in the marriage could make it difficult for her to fulfil her marital obligations in accordance with Islamic teachings.
She further stated that attempts to reconcile the couple had been unsuccessful, prompting her decision to approach the court for the dissolution of the marriage.
As part of her application under Khul’i, Zainab expressed her willingness to return the dowry paid by Governor Yusuf at the time of their marriage.
The divorce proceedings come amid a political disagreement between Governor Yusuf and his former political mentor and father-in-law, Senator Kwankwaso.
Yusuf was elected Governor of Kano State in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with the support of Kwankwaso.
However, the governor subsequently parted ways politically with his former mentor, formally resigning from the NNPP in January 2026 before joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwankwaso also left the NNPP in March, joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he spent about two months before moving to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where he is the party’s vice-presidential candidate.
Although sources have linked the political disagreement between Yusuf and Kwankwaso to tensions within the marriage, Zainab’s reported particulars of claim centre on the breakdown of the marital relationship, loss of affection and unsuccessful reconciliation efforts.
Meanwhile, Zainab reportedly left the Kano Government House on October 28, 2026, visiting her father’s residence before travelling to Abuja without her assigned security escorts.
According to Daily Nigerian, her departure prompted inquiries involving security personnel attached to the Government House and Kwankwaso’s residence.
The newspaper reported that some security personnel were questioned and subsequently released, while members of Zainab’s family were also invited by the police over their alleged involvement in facilitating her departure.
However, the circumstances surrounding the reported police intervention have not been independently verified.
As of the time of the original report, the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Sanusi Dawakin Tofa, had not responded to requests for the governor’s reaction to the divorce proceedings.
There was also no indication in the available court documents that Governor Yusuf had filed a response to the application.
The Upper Area Court in Gudu, Abuja, has yet to determine Zainab’s request for the dissolution of the marriage.
The matter is scheduled for November 17, 2026, when Governor Yusuf is expected to appear before the court.
Post Title: “Persistent Lack Of Love And Affection” — Kwankwaso’s Daughter Seeks Divorce From Kano Gov.Yusuf After 20 Years, Offers To Return Dowry By Naijaonpoint.