The second wife of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, Zainab Musa Kwankwaso, has approached a court in Abuja seeking to dissolve their 20-year marriage, offering to refund the dowry paid by the governor.
Zainab, a daughter of former Kano State Governor and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, filed the divorce proceedings at the Upper Area Court in Gudu, Abuja, according to court documents obtained by Daily Nigerian.
A civil summons with reference number CV/97/26 has directed Yusuf to appear before the court on November 17, 2026.
The couple married on July 29, 2006, when Zainab was serving as an aide to her father. Their union produced six children.
In her particulars of claim, Zainab cited an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, alleging a prolonged absence of mutual care, love, affection and emotional connection between them.
She reportedly told the court that she had also lost her love and affection for the governor and developed a deep-seated aversion to the marriage.
Zainab further expressed concern that remaining in the union could make it difficult for her to observe the limits prescribed by Allah regarding a wife’s obligations.
According to the court documents, she said efforts to reconcile the couple and restore harmony had failed, adding that the governor’s heart had completely turned away from the marriage.
She subsequently informed the court of her willingness to refund the dowry Yusuf paid during their wedding to secure the dissolution of the union.
Kwankwaso’s daughter seeks khul’i divorce
Zainab is seeking to end the marriage through khul’i, an Islamic procedure that allows a woman to seek separation from her husband, usually by returning the dowry or offering compensation.
The development comes amid reports of a prolonged crisis in the marriage, following the political disagreement between Yusuf and his godfather and father-in-law, Kwankwaso.
The governor and the former governor reportedly fell out about a year ago, with the disagreement said to have extended beyond politics into their family relationship.
On October 28, Zainab reportedly left the Kano Government House for her father’s residence on Miller Road, Kano, before travelling to Abuja without her police orderly and other security escorts.
Her police orderly reportedly became concerned after suspecting that something was wrong and alerted senior officers at the Government House, who subsequently informed the governor.
According to Daily Nigerian, sources said airport security officials were initially instructed not to allow her to board her flight. However, she was eventually permitted to travel after concerns that stopping her could trigger a confrontation at the airport.
The incident reportedly led to the arrest and questioning of security operatives assigned to protect her quarters at the Government House, as well as personnel attached to Kwankwaso’s Miller Road residence. The Kano State Police Command later released them.
Zainab’s elder sister and brother, Ado Kwankwaso, were also reportedly invited by the police over allegations that they helped her leave Kano.
Sources further alleged that pressure was being mounted on the police to charge Ado with kidnapping.
The Kano State Government had yet to officially comment on the reported divorce proceedings as of the time of filing this report.