Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Former member representing Bagwai/Shanono federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has given his reason for severing ties with the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
He said he was meant to carry his cross by himself all through the years of imprisonment as there was no show of solidarity from the movement.
Recall that Lawan was among 175 individuals granted presidential pardon on October 9, 2025, following recommendations from the Council of State.
His legal battle came into light from a 2021 conviction: a Federal High Court handed him a 7-year sentence for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes of $3 million tied to Nigeria’s fuel subsidy scandal in 2012.
Truth Live News Media while reference BBC Hausa Service, said Lawan referred to his prison experience as an eye-opener — a time to reflect on faith, loyalty, and political alliances.
The four term member of the House of Representatives, said that, while imprisoned, he often thought about who his real friends were.
“Whenever God puts you through a trial, He also opens your eyes to see who your true companions are,” he said, adding that for more than a year, he never received even a phone call from a major figure in Kwankwasiyya — not a “get-well” message, not a word of support,” Farouk Lawan said.
“It’s been a year now. He never called to wish me well or say, ‘May Allah bless you for regaining your freedom,’” Lawan lamented
Lawan disclosed that while he remained a PDP member during his time in prison, he had directed his supporters to shift to NNPP ahead of the 2023 general elections.
But he now believes NNPP is too narrow to sustain his political ambitions.
Though he said he is no longer identifies strictly with Kwankwasiyya, he still maintains respect for its leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, even as he signals readiness for broader national engagement.
His pardon, he says, is a reset, an opportunity to re-enter politics with new clarity about who stood by him in his darkest hours.