President-elect Bola Tinubu met Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, one of his opponents in the February 25, 2023 election.
Kwankwaso, who ran on the platform of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), placed fourth in the election, winning only Kano State, a stronghold of the ruling All Peoples Progressive Congress (APC).
According to sources, the duo met for hours in Paris, the capital of France, on Monday.
Tinubu is said to have told Kwankwaso to contact his political associates about the need to work together.
The new president and his guest are said to have agreed to hold further meetings. While Kwankwaso’s wife and Abdulmimin Jibrin, an elected NNPP MP, accompanied him to the meeting, Tinubu’s wife and Femi Gbajabiamila, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, joined the meeting.
“The President-elect and Senator Kwankwaso met for more than 4 hours behind closed doors in Paris on Monday. The meeting began around 12:30 pm. It ended around 4:45 pm. The meeting took place. out in the presence of the representative Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila Kwankwaso was accompanied by an elected Kano member on Abdulmumin Jibrin,” the source said. “Sen Oluremi Tinubu was also there to pick up Kwankwaso’s wife, Hajia Salamatu, who was traveling with her husband. Discussions focused on their long friendship since their days in the National Assembly in 1992, national unity and development, the new government’s priorities, parliamentary elections, and succession planning. President-elect’s plan for a national unity government to which Kwankwaso agreed in principle to participate.
The source said Tinubu also alluded to the reconciliation of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and Kwankwaso.
Ganduje took over Kwankwso in 2015, but the duo disbanded shortly after.
