Former presidential candidate and NNPP national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, yesterday paid a closed-door visit to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, sparking speculation about potential political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the NNPP and previously served as governor of Kano State, described the engagement as a courtesy call.
Accompanying him were the NNPP National Chairman, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed; National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson; Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Buba Galadima; and other senior party officials.
The delegation had initially come to Oyo State to inaugurate the NNPP’s state office and discuss internal party matters.
The meeting, however, drew attention because Governor Makinde is a key figure in the Peoples Democratic Party, highlighting the unusual interaction between leaders of different political platforms.
After about two hours behind closed doors, Kwankwaso addressed journalists, rejecting claims that the visit signalled a cross-party alliance.
“This visit is more about personal friendship than party politics. Governor Makinde and I have known each other for a long time. Before proceeding to our party engagement in the state, I felt it was proper to pay him a courtesy call,” he said.
Reflecting on his political journey, Kwankwaso recalled his early association with the PDP, noting, “I was among the founding members of the PDP in 1998 and was elected Governor of Kano State in 1999 on the party’s platform. I later served as Minister of Defence under the PDP administration and returned for another tenure as governor in 2011, again under the PDP.”
He later joined the APC before becoming the NNPP’s national leader.
Neither Kwankwaso nor Makinde provided details of their private discussions, leaving the content of the meeting undisclosed.
The NNPP team was then scheduled to proceed with the inauguration of its Oyo State office.
