Kwankwaso Says Meeting With Makinde Was Courtesy Visit, Not 2027 Political Move

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has stated that his recent private meeting with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde was rooted in personal ties rather than political calculations.

Kwankwaso visited Makinde at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan on Wednesday while in Oyo State to commission the NNPP’s state secretariat and engage with party members. The meeting, held behind closed doors, lasted close to two hours.

Speaking with journalists afterward, Kwankwaso dismissed claims that the visit was part of any strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“This visit is more about personal friendship than party politics.”

“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.”

He acknowledged Makinde’s membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and reflected on his own political background, noting that he was among the founding members of the PDP in 1998.

Kwankwaso recalled emerging as governor of Kano State under the PDP in 1999 and later serving as Minister of Defence. He explained that he subsequently moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC) before joining the NNPP, where he now leads the party nationally.

As part of his activities in the state, Kwankwaso inaugurated the NNPP office in Ibadan, saying the step was intended to solidify the party’s structure and prepare for the 2027 elections.

The meeting comes shortly after Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf left the NNPP for the APC.