In an act of reconciliation following the February 25, 2023 elections, President-elect Bola Tinubu has held a meeting with one of his electoral opponents, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. The meeting occurred in Paris, signifying the beginning of a series of peace talks.
Senator Kwankwaso, who contested the elections on the platform of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), finished fourth, winning only Kano State – a stronghold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The President-elect and Senator Kwankwaso were reported to have reached an agreement to hold further meetings. Kwankwaso was accompanied by his wife and Abdulmimin Jibrin, an NNPP lawmaker-elect. On Tinubu’s side, his wife and Femi Gbajabiamila, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, were present.
An inside source disclosed, “The President-elect and Senator Kwankwaso met for over 4 hours behind closed doors in Paris on Monday. The meeting, which began at about 12.30 pm, ended at about 4.45 pm. The attendees also included Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, a member-elect from Kano who accompanied Kwankwaso.”
“Sen. Oluremi Tinubu was also present to receive Kwankwaso’s wife Hajia Salamatu. The discussions revolved around their longstanding friendship since their days in the National Assembly in 1992, national unity and development, priorities for the new government, National Assembly contests, and President-elect Tinubu’s plan for a government of national unity, which Kwankwaso has, in principle, agreed to join.”
The source also revealed that Tinubu hinted at a possible reconciliation between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and Kwankwaso. The two political figures had a falling out shortly after Ganduje succeeded Kwankwaso in 2015.
