President Bola Tinubu hosted former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, July 21, for a private meeting, sparking renewed speculation about behind-the-scenes political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The closed-door engagement took place at the president’s official residence, away from media scrutiny, shortly after Kwankwaso attended the Nigeria Forest Economy Summit 2025 at the State House Conference Centre.
It marked the second publicly known meeting between the two political heavyweights since Tinubu’s inauguration in May 2023.
Kwankwaso, 67, a prominent northern political figure and founder of the influential “Kwankwasiyya” movement, previously met Tinubu on June 9, 2023, becoming the first presidential candidate to do so after the election.
At that time, he told State House correspondents: “We discussed issues of governance and politics. There’s the possibility of working together in the interest of the nation.”
Links to Coalition Talks
Though no official statement was released on Monday’s meeting, the timing is significant. It comes on the heels of the African Democratic Congress’s announcement of a planned mega-opposition coalition, seeking to challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Kwankwaso, who ran for president in 2023 under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), secured a resounding victory in Kano State, leading his party to control both the state government and legislature.
While the NNPP has not formally joined the ADC-led coalition, several opposition actors are courting Kwankwaso to consolidate their influence in the North.
Sources contacted for comment by the presidency said the private nature of the meeting meant only a few aides were aware of its content.
“It was at the residence. Most people didn’t have access,” one insider noted.
Observers view the renewed contact as a signal that political bridges are being explored ahead of the 2027 elections.
