Kwankwaso Holds Closed-Door Meeting With Tinubu in France

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigerian Peoples Party's (NNPP) 2023 presidential candidate, met with President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu in France.

Prior to the 10th National Assembly's inauguration on June 13, the two met on Monday in Paris and apparently discussed matters related to the election of the legislative leaders.

According to reports, Tinubu flew from Nigeria to Europe on May 10 in a private plane.

The incoming president instructed Kwankwaso to inform his political allies of the importance of cooperating.

While Tinubu's wife and Femi Gbajabiamila, the departing Speaker of the House of Representatives, attended the meeting, Kwankwaso's wife and Abdulmimin Jibrin, a NNPP lawmaker-elect, also went with him.

"The President-elect and Senator Kwankwaso met for over 4 hours behind closed doors in Paris on Monday. The meeting which started at about 12.30pm ended at about 4.45pm. The meeting was attended by Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.

The report states, member elect from Kano, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, accompanied Kwankwaso to the meeting,

“Sen Oluremi Tinubu was also there to receive Kwankwaso’s wife Hajiya Salamatu, who came with her husband. Discussions were centered around their long term friendship since their days in the National Assembly in 1992, national unity and development, priorities for the new government, national assembly contests and the plan by the President-elect for a government of national unity which Kwankwaso has in principle accepted to join.”

According to sources, Tinubu also suggested that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and Senator Kwankwaso would get along again.

Ganduje succeeded Kwankwaso in 2015, but the pair soon broke up.