Kwankwaso Meets Makinde in Ibadan, Dismisses Alliance Speculations

Former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governors Office in Ibadan. The meeting, officially described as a courtesy visit, has generated significant political interest amid growing speculation over possible realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections. Kwankwaso was accompanied by the partys National Chairman, Dr Ajuji Ahmed; National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson; Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Buba Galadima; and other senior party officials. The NNPP delegation was in Oyo State for the inauguration of the partys state office and to deliberate on internal party affairs. However, the visit to Makinde, a second-term governor elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, drew attention due to the different political platforms of both leaders. The closed-door session lasted about two hours and was held away from the media. Speaking with journalists afterward, Kwankwaso dismissed suggestions that the visit was aimed at forging a cross-party alliance. This visit is more about personal friendship than party politics, he said. 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. Kwankwaso also reflected on his political journey, noting that he was among the founding members of the PDP in 1998 and was elected governor of Kano State in 1999 on the partys platform. He recalled serving as Minister of Defence under a PDP administration and returning as governor in 2011, before later defecting to the All Progressives Congress and subsequently emerging as the national leader of the NNPP. Despite his comments, neither Kwankwaso nor Makinde disclosed details of the discussions held during the private meeting.