By Paul Joseph
Dr. Farooq Kperogi, a Nigerian academic based in the United States, suggested that the proposed US sanctions against former Kano governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso might ultimately serve as “a political gift.”
He expressed this view in an opinion piece posted on Facebook on Thursday.
The journalist and academic was responding to news that four US congressmen had introduced a bill in Congress called the ‘Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,’ which seeks to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore due to alleged violations of religious freedoms in Nigeria.
The bill is inspired by the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which calls for visa bans and asset freezes against individuals and entities accused of violating religious freedoms.
Kperogi argued that Kwankwaso does not fit the profile of a religious extremist in any way.
He recalled his time as Assistant News Editor for Weekly Trust, during which he covered the events surrounding the introduction of Sharia law in Kano under Kwankwaso in June 2000.
He noted that Kwankwaso was hesitant to implement Sharia, which put him at odds with the Islamic religious authorities in the state.
Kperogi stated, “Anyone familiar with Kwankwaso’s history knows he is not a religious fanatic by any means. As governor of Kano, he was notably (and for Sharia proponents, infamously) reluctant to introduce Sharia in 2000. I know this because I reported on the events leading up to its declaration that year, as evidenced by this screenshot.
“My June 30, 2000, Weekly Trust article, co-written with the paper’s then Kano correspondent Sulaiman Aliyu and titled ‘Sharia: Triumph of Kano Masses,’ indicated that Kwankwaso resisted declaring Sharia for months and was at odds with both the general public and the Muslim clerical establishment over the issue.”
He suggested that Kwankwaso might have been targeted because he was the only prominent Nigerian politician to openly criticize the United States for designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
Kperogi warned that US lawmakers might unintentionally elevate Kwankwaso to a significant political figure in Northern Nigeria, akin to the late Muhammadu Buhari.
He remarked, “This appears to be a rhetorical and political gift to Kwankwaso, whom I previously referred to as a ‘local champion,’ which may have angered his supporters. He has struggled for years to gain political influence beyond Kano.
“This could be the opportunity he has been waiting for to become the unofficial Sardauna of the Hausa-speaking Muslim Arewa, similar to what Muhammadu Buhari achieved.”
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