Leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, hosted Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, at his residence in Kano.
The visit by the opposition leaders coincided with the annual Kalankwa festival, celebrated by the Kwankwasiyya Movement to mark the end of the fasting period in Kano.
Although the visitors were warmly received by a mammoth crowd of Kwankwasiyya loyalists adorned in the traditional white and red colours, this year’s event appeared politically strategic ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Notably, the high-profile visit by the Oyo State governor and the two former governors came just weeks after Kwankwaso held a closed-door meeting with Makinde in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Addressing the crowd at the event, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, said he was in Kano to felicitate with Muslims on the occasion of the Sallah celebration and to pay homage to the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Although Obi stressed that his visit was not for political campaigning, he emphasized the need for political realignment to rebuild Kano’s industrial and economic viability.
“We want to change Kano. We want to build a new Kano. What we want to do is to ensure we bring back industry to Kano. All those factories in Bompai, Sharada Phase I and II, and Bank of the North we want to revive them. Today is not about politics; it is about celebrating Sallah. May Almighty Allah bless you all,” Obi stated.
Makinde and Dickson, however, did not make public remarks at the event. The three leaders were later ushered into Kwankwaso’s residence, where they held a closed-door meeting for several hours.
Makinde, one of the two remaining Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, visited Kwankwaso just weeks after their earlier meeting in Agodi, Ibadan.
Kwankwaso, who is yet to declare his next political move, has continued consultations with opposition leaders in what appears to be a strategic effort to consolidate his political relevance ahead of 2027.
His push to form a credible alliance with opposition parties has become more pronounced following his reported fallout with his political protégé, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).