Fresh details have emerged on how a last-minute attempt by former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed.
A credible source told this newspaper that Kwankwaso held a discreet meeting on Thursday in Lagos with former Osun State governor and APC founding leader, Chief Bisi Akande, in a move widely believed to be part of his renewed political calculations ahead of realignments within Kano politics.
According to the source, Kwankwaso used the meeting to formally request Akande’s intervention in securing a direct appointment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The former NNPP presidential candidate was said to be keen on meeting the President personally to negotiate the terms of his defection to the ruling party.
PlatinumPost report that speculations are rife recently over the alleged plan defection of his political godson the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf from the NNPP to the APC.
However, Akande reportedly declined the request, insisting that he could not bypass established party structures.
He informed Kwankwaso that the APC has an official high level committee responsible for handling negotiations involving prominent political figures seeking to join the party.
The committee, Akande explained, is headed by Vice President Kashim Shettima, with members including the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, as well as the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Akande was said to have advised Kwankwaso to submit himself to the committee’s process rather than seeking a one on one meeting with the President.
The source further revealed that the development did not sit well with the former Kano governor, who reportedly rejected the option of engaging the committee.
His refusal, insiders disclosed, effectively stalled the defection talks and brought his last-minute effort to a halt.
Political observers believe Kwankwaso’s move was driven by a strategic desire to negotiate his entry into the APC ahead of his political protégé and incumbent Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, amid growing speculation of possible realignments in the state’s political landscape.
Platinumpost gathered that with the talks now said to have collapsed, Kwankwaso may be heading to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
As of the time of filing this report, neither Kwankwaso nor Akande had issued an official statement on the reported meeting.
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