22nd May, 2023
President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu informed his ally in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje of his plan to meet with the candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in Paris, France last week.
Rep Abdulmumin Jibrin who allegedly arraigned the meeting said this while reacting to the controversies the meeting between Tinubu and Kwankwaso is generating, especially on the side of Ganduje and his supporters in Kano.
Some APC chieftains in Kano had alleged that the meeting between Tinubu and Kwankwaso amounted to dumping of Ganduje who, according to them, stick his neck out for Tinubu in the battle for the 2023 presidency.
Also, Ganduje, in had also in a leaked audio file expressed his discomfort on the meeting between Tinubu and his Kano political rival.
However, the Kano State government has disowned the voice note, describing it as a plot to create friction between the Ganduje and Tinubu.
But Jibrin, in an audio recording yesterday described the controversies being generated over the meeting as unnecessary.
The audio file was released to The Nation newspapers.
This, according to him was because Tinubu consulted with Ganduje before the Paris meeting.
He also dismissed fears that the President-Elect will abandon those who worked for his victory at the polls.
“Like every other Nigerian, I was very shocked when I listened to that audio. But I think the most important thing is to confirm to you that Governor Ganduje was consulted and he himself confirmed this to me.
“He (Ganduje) told me in clear words that the President-Elect invited him and told him that he is planning a meeting with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. He asked Ganduje if he has any objection to it and Ganduje told me that he told the President-Elect that he has no any objection to it.
“So it very unfair, very extremely unfair to the President-elect to be portrayed in bad light before the public by Governor Ganduje who knows very well that the President-elect consulted him before that meeting. He confirmed that to me clearly. It is very very unfair to the President-Elect,” Jibrin said.
The Rep-Elect, a former chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation said Tinubu’s meeting with Ganduje was aimed at fostering national unity, cohesion and development.
He also noted that Tinubu and Kwankwaso shared a long history of relationship and friendship, dating back to 1992 when the former Kano State governor was deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President-Elect was the chairman of Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation.
“He added that as governors in 1999, they also related very well.
He added that the two men continued their relationship between 2003 to 2007 when Kwankwaso was a minister of Defence and Tinubu was still the governor of Lagos State.
“The relationship continued until 2011 when Kwankwaso returned as a governor and Asiwaju was a leader in the opposition movement and both of them worked very closely to establish the APC(All Progressives Congress).”
“I think these are the parameters from which they want to peg their relationship and take it up from there.
Jibri added that Ganduje confirmed to him that the President-elect informed him that he will be having a meeting with Kwankwaso.
He added that the outgoing Governor said he had no objection to the meeting and that he has with his predecessor in office.
“He(Ganduje) said his only issue with Kwankwaso was just that lately Kwankwaso has been attacking him. Promptly, I also told him he is guilty of the same because he also at several fora has been attacking Kwankwaso.
“I said to him that well that I believe that as leaders that both of them can sort out themselves. I promised him that I would convey his message to Kwankwaso and that was how the conversation ended.”