𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬? 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞, 𝐊𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐨 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde and the national leader of the Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso-led New Nigeria Peoples Party on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting  at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.

The private engagement, which lasted several hours, drew significant attention from political observers, though no official agenda has been disclosed. Footage shared on social media showed the two leaders exchanging greetings before entering the meeting, with access restricted to invited guests only. 

Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate and influential opposition figure, described the visit as a courtesy call and not a political campaign engagement. However, analysts say the timing and high-profile nature of the discussion have fuelled speculation about strategic consultations or political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting follows recent high-level engagements involving Governor Makinde, including visits with other prominent leaders. Neither camp has released an official statement detailing the outcomes of the Ibadan talks, leaving room for continued political analysis in the coming months.

Accompanying the former Kano governor were the NNPP National Chairman, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed; National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson; and the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Buba Galadima, along with other senior party officials.

The purpose of the NNPP team’s visit to Oyo State was to officially open the party’s state office and discuss internal organizational matters.

Despite this, the interaction with Governor Makinde, a key leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), drew notable public interest due to the leaders representing different political parties.

Following a two-hour private discussion, Kwankwaso spoke to reporters, stressing that the meeting was not aimed at forging any cross-party alliance.

He explained, “This was primarily a personal visit based on longstanding friendship. Governor Makinde and I have known each other for many years, and I wanted to pay him a courtesy call before attending to party-related matters in the state.”