By Precious Onwe
Less than two weeks to the May 29 inauguration of a new administration to be led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, indications have emerged of moves by the president-elect to co-opt the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso into the incoming government.
The Voice gathered that the president-elect, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who flew the flag of NNPP in the February 25 presidential election, met for four hours in Paris, France, on Monday to discuss the possibility of working together.
It was confirmed that at the centre of the discussion was a possible involvement of Kwankwaso in the new administration under Tinubu who plans to form a government of national unity that will entail giving certain positions to the opposition parties.
A senior aide to Kwankwaso declined to confirm the meeting with Tinubu but said his boss actually travelled to France.
The Voice also gathered that the meeting actually took place and discussed issues around the election of the legislative leaders ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th national assembly.
It was further scooped t that Tinubu’s representatives have also been meeting with key figures in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Paris meeting between Tinubu and Kwankwaso started at 12.30 pm and ended at 4.45 pm.
Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Reps was said to have attended the meeting while Abdulmumin Jibrin, an NNPP rep-elect and former leader of a Tinubu campaign organisation, accompanied Kwankwaso.
Oluremi Tinubu, senator and wife of president-elect received Kwankwaso’s wife, Salamatu.
Tinubu was a senator while Kwankwaso was deputy speaker in the House of Reps.
Daily Sun gathered that the high profile meeting has not been concluded as both parties agreed to go for more consultations with stakeholders on both sides.
Tinubu is expected to brief Kashim Shettima, the vice-president elect, APC governors forum and other party leaders while Kwankwaso will do the same with his party leadership.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the two top positions in both chambers but some of its members are kicking against the formula and threatening to go into an alliance with the opposition parties to scuttle the arrangement.
While APC has 59 senators and 175 members of the House of Representatives, NNPP has two and 19 respectively.
A simple majority of 56 senators and 181 reps are needed to elect the top two leaders in the respective chambers.
