Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have held a private meeting in Kano, with aides describing the engagement as warm and constructive.
The meeting took place on Thursday during Obasanjo’s official visit to Kano State.
In a statement shared on Friday, Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, disclosed that the former Kano State governor paid a courtesy visit to the former president at his temporary residence in Kano.
Kwankwaso was accompanied by the former Deputy Governor of Kano State and the NDC’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.
According to Hassan, the visit provided an opportunity for the two political figures to exchange views on issues of national interest.
“His Excellency, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, PhD, FNSE, the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the NDC, last night paid a courtesy visit to elder statesman and former President of Nigeria, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, at his temporary residence in Kano,” Hassan stated.
He added that Obasanjo, who was in Kano on an official assignment, held what he described as cordial and constructive discussions with the former governor.
Neither Obasanjo nor Kwankwaso disclosed the details of their conversations, leaving the purpose of the meeting open to public speculation.
The meeting comes at a time of heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general election and against the backdrop of Obasanjo’s longstanding political relationship with NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Obasanjo publicly endorsed Obi over the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the former Anambra State governor as the candidate best suited to lead Nigeria.
At the time, the former president likened Obi to “a needle with thread attached to it from the North and the South,” saying he possessed the leadership qualities and broad national appeal needed to unite the country.
Despite the endorsement, Obi finished third in the 2023 presidential election behind PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar and eventual winner, President Bola Tinubu of the APC.
Photographs released after Thursday’s meeting showed Obasanjo and Kwankwaso in a relaxed and cordial atmosphere, although no official statement was issued on the outcome or resolutions reached during their discussions.