Kwankwaso meets Tinubu in France, accepts to join his govt of national unity

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) has reportedly accepted to work with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. 

Kwankwaso was said to have met Tinubu in Paris, the capital of France, where they had a meeting that lasted for four hours on Monday, May 15, 2023. 

According to Daily Trust, the meeting was attended by the wife of the president-elect, Remi Tinubu, Kwankwaso’s wife, Hajia Salamatu Rabiu, Abdulmumin Jibrin, an NNPP lawmaker-elect and the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

An anonymous source, who spoke to the newspaper disclosed that Kwankwaso has agreed in principle to join the proposed government of national unity by Tinubu. 

“The President-elect and Senator Kwankwaso met for over 4 hours behind close door 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. Kwankwaso was accompanied to the meeting by member elect from kano Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin,” the source said.

“Sen Oluremi Tinubu was also there to receive Kwankwaso’s wife Hajia 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.”

The source further said that the president-elect plans to reconcile Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and Kwankwaso. The duo fell apart after the 2015 general election.