Zainab Musa Kwankwaso, the second wife of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approached an Upper Area Court in Abuja seeking the dissolution o
Zainab Musa Kwankwaso, the second wife of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approached an Upper Area Court in Abuja seeking the dissolution of their 20-year marriage through an Islamic legal process known as khul’i.
Under the process, a woman may seek divorce by offering to return the dowry paid by her husband.
The case was instituted at the Upper Area Court in Gudu, Abuja, with a civil summons bearing reference number CV/97/26. The court has reportedly summoned the governor to appear on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
Zainab, a daughter of former Kano State governor and Senator, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, married Yusuf on July 29, 2006. The couple have six children together.
According to details contained in the court documents, she is seeking to end the marriage over what she described as a loss of love and emotional attachment, as well as a prolonged absence of affection and mutual care.
She told the court that attempts to resolve the differences had failed and expressed willingness to return the dowry as part of the divorce process.
Zainab left the Kano Government House for Abuja on October 28, after visiting her father’s residence in Kano. She travelled without her police orderly and other security personnel attached to her, prompting an alarm from her orderly, while airport security officials were initially instructed to prevent her from boarding her flight before she was eventually allowed to proceed.
Since her departure, three security personnel attached to the governor and his wife have since been arrested, questioned and later released by the Kano State Police Command.
Zainab’s elder sister and brother, Ado Kwankwaso, were also invited for questioning over allegations that they facilitated her journey to Abuja.
The development comes amid the political differences between Yusuf and his erstwhile godfather, Kwankwaso.
Relations between the two deteriorated after Yusuf left the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), under which he won the 2023 governorship election, for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
There is however no established evidence linking the political disagreement to Zainab’s decision to seek dissolution of the marriage.
