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Details Of Their THURSDAY Meeting
It is no longer news that President Bola Tinubu and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso met last Thursday to iron out their political differences.
Senator Kwankwanso who was the NNPP presidential candidate at the last General Elections is not happy with Pres. Tinubu for reneging on his earlier promise to bring in a few of his men into his cabinet.
Months back, Tinubu, at a meeting had suggested to Kwankwaso to bring members of his camp into his cabinet. And Kwankwaso had given the nod. But Tinubu, had not done that.
At the same meeting, Tinubu had requested that Kwankwaso, who now controls Kano politics, via his son-in-law who is now the new Kano Governor, should join his government.
Tinubu, the master strategist had seen the potential derivatives he will get if he could get a Kwankwaso to join his government.
Kwankwaso did not mince words in telling Asiwaju that he will be most uncomfortable leaving NNPP where he is in full control and join APC where his No 1 political enemy, Ganduje is now National Chairman.
It was because of the respect and age long friendship they have that made Kwankwaso agree to meet with Tinubu again last week, to see how they could cement their alliance.
We gathered that the President panicked when he heard that Kwankwaso was already in talks with Atiku.
So Tinubu invited him for further talks. Unconfirmed reports say Atiku, Peter Obi & Kwankwanso are already planning to work together.
But Peter Obi has denied this.
For a few hours, the 2 master strategies met that Thursday to iron out their differences. Kwankwaso explained that much as he would have loved to work closely with Tinubu, he remains very uncomfortable with the fact that Ganduje’s powers have become more pronounced with the new role of Ganduje in the party.
So, he has ruled out the possibility of dumping the NNPP and joining the APC.
That does not go down well with Tinubu who needs and desires Kwankwaso to join the APC and the cabinet.
Why Kwankwaso is being careful is because he still plans to contest come 2027 and he is leaving open his many options.
The meeting between Tinubu and Kwankwaso was inconclusive.
City People gathered after effect of Pres. Tinubu’s choice of Ministers has created a lot of problems for him because of his inability to fulfil his promise to many individuals and groups he had promised to include in his cabinet
One of these groups is the Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso group.
After Tinubu won the presidential elections, he had series of meetings with Kwankwaso on how they could work together.
And at one of the meetings an agreement was reached for Tinubu to bring in a few members of the Kwankwaso Group into his cabinet.
Of course, Kwankwaso, had told Tinubu, that though he would support Tinubu’s administration, he would not come on board, but he would support if 2 or 3 members of his party and associates could be brought in as compensation for their loyalty to him.
Tinubu was said to have accepted that gentleman’s agreement, which was not signed. And Kwankwaso, who is reputed to be a highly principled politician briefed his followers on what he had agreed with Tinubu.
So many NNPP members were expectant that Pres. Tinubu will carry them along when the time comes. Then came the formation of the Tinubu, cabinet and nothing came the way of the Kwankwaso group.
When the first set of nominees were announced and no member of the group was included, there were rumblings.
But assurances were given that the Kwankwaso, group will be included in the 2nd batch of ministerial nominees. Again, when the list came out, the nominees of the Kwankwaso group were missing. And this further sent tongues wagging as to the possible reasons why Pres. Tinubu reneged on his promise.
Of course, members of the group took this as a subtle message by Pres. Tinubu that he had reneged on their earlier agreement.
This didn’t go down well with the Kwankwaso group. What has also not helped matters is the sudden rising profile of former Kano Governor, Ganduje who Pres. Tinubu chose to be the new APC Chairman.
Of course it is no longer news that all is not well between Sen. Kwankwaso and Ganduje. They are political enemies and the new Governor of Kano, Abba Yusuf has been battling Ganduje since he came into office, destroying a lot of Ganduje’s legacies.
Ganduje’s sudden rise within the Tinubu administration has given many the impression that Tinubu may have possibly dumped Kwankwaso for Ganduje.
The PDP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku who has been watching the game from the sidelines quickly moved in a few days ago. He met Kwankwaso and prevailed on him to let them close ranks and work together. It was during a close door meeting.
We gathered that the Atiku group desperately wants to work with the Kwankwaso group.
But Kwankwaso who is also a master strategist is studying the situation of things because going back to Atiku in PDP or accepting to work with him is tantamount to taking back his vomit. This is because he left PDP for NNPP because of Atiku & Co. who had hijacked the party.
There is also the issue of Kwakwaso’s age-long friendship with Pres. Tinubu. He feels acceptance to work with Atiku will be seen by Tinubu, that Kwankwaso has dumped him.
So, Kwankwaso is in a big dilemma. The most recent meeting between Atiku & Kwankwaso had ended up with the duo promising to meet again soon.
Of course, Kwankwaso, had told Atiku, that he will need to consult widely before taking his next move.
City People gathered that immediately Pres. Tinubu got wind of the meeting between Atiku & Kwankwaso, he began a fresh round of moves to reconcile with Kwankwaso.
He does not want Kwankwaso to go back to Atiku.
That Tinubu & Kwankwaso are close became clear when months preceeding the March general elections there were talks that the two will fuse into one.
But the followers of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso repeatedly denied the possibility of Kwankwaso and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate working together.
For months, the rumour had been rife that the 2 presidential candidates will most likely work together. According to the rumour as the race gets hotter and closer to the D-Day, the 2 candidates will get their followers to collaborate in some States where they are strong. According to the logic, Kwankwaso is very strong in Kano and the North and working with Tinubu would boost its strength, just as it will boost the strength and capacity of Tinubu to win the elections. Don’t forget that to win the presidential elections a candidate needs a wide spread across 25 States and the collaboration of the 2 parties-the APC and NNPP, would lead have led to a stronger showing at the polls.
But many NNPP chieftains denied the possibility. When City People asked one of Kwankwaso’ aides, he wondered who was spreading such an unsubstantiated claim. But much as the possibility was wished away, City People had more feelers that efforts more made to.
This is also because Tinubu & Kwankwaso are close. Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and he was so sure he would win the 2023 Presidential elections. Within political circles, he was considered to be a strong candidate. He has a huge followership across the country.
He controls the popular Kwankwasiyya Movement, and members are always in red caps. The fact that he is a seasoned politician who understands the game was enough reason for his followers to feel so. He has been in the corridors of power since 1999.
He was the Governor of Kano state from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015. He was appointed the first Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic with no prior military background from 2003 to 2007, under the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He was later elected to the Senate in 2015, serving one term under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kano Central Senatorial District.
