Kwankwaso reacts to Rarara’s song aimed at Pantami

Former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has criticized Isa Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy. This comes after a recent song by Dauda Rarara, a well-known praise singer linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu.

Kwankwaso, who is the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said Pantami should not be shocked by the song. He explained that by joining politics, Pantami has made himself open to the attacks that politicians often face.

He shared his thoughts in an interview with DCL Hausa on Tuesday. Kwankwaso mentioned that he has also been a target of Rarara’s songs before. He called the singer’s attack on Pantami a type of political payback.

According to Kwankwaso, Pantami had previously insulted him, but he chose not to respond. “Rarara has insulted me; he has also insulted Shekarau, Ganduje and many other people here in Kano. Yet, we handled it better because we are politicians,” he said.

He was referring to former Kano governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, who have also had political issues with Rarara over time. Kwankwaso stated that the fuss about the song is because Pantami decided to leave religious preaching for active politics.

“That is why we say: once you abandon religious preaching and enter politics, you should not expect politicians to treat you as a religious cleric. What Rarara did to Pantami is only the beginning; it is nothing more than a welcome to politics,” he said.

Kwankwaso recalled a time when Pantami insulted him in front of his supporters. “Pantami once hurled all sorts of insults at me in the presence of my supporters. I was the one who asked them to calm down and not react,” he said.

He also mentioned another occasion when his supporters wanted to confront Pantami. “There was even a time when my supporters tried to deal with him in Kano because of the way he attacked my personality,” Kwankwaso said.

He believes Pantami should now see that being in politics means facing criticism from rivals and others in the field. Pantami, who is a former Minister and well-known Islamic scholar, is now running for governor in Gombe State.

He originally wanted the APC ticket but stepped back from the primary in May. He claimed there were violations of the Electoral Act 2026 and issues with the process. After that, he joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and became the candidate from the Nyesom Wike-led faction.

His move into politics has brought back attention to his earlier comments about the PDP, especially how he criticized the party while he was an Islamic preacher and later a minister under the APC.

Kwankwaso pointed out this change in his remarks about the former minister. “Pantami used to call the PDP all kinds of names, including ‘Al-Kafira’ (the Infidel party), yet he has now joined the same party and contested under its platform,” he said.

The latest issue started after Rarara released a song many saw as a political jab at Pantami. The song has drawn criticism from Nigerians, with some questioning why music is being used to attack political opponents. Others believe that political figures who join politics should be ready for criticism.

Islamic scholars and other commentators have also reacted, criticizing what they see as disrespectful language against a well-known religious figure. Still, Pantami has recognized that criticism is part of politics. In May, while suspending a social media aide who called his opponents “hypocrites”, he mentioned that criticism is key in political discussions.

With this in mind, Kwankwaso’s comments have added to the conversation about whether religious leaders in politics should be treated like clerics or face the same scrutiny as all other politicians.