BUSTED! “Report that Kwankwaso visited Tinubu in Villa to join APC false, ridiculous”
By KEMI KASUMU
It has been said that the way and manner fake news and wicked rumours are roaring from no other than ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) these days are becoming of much concerns.
This is as yet another report of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s to Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja indicating the purported defection of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) national leader to join President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the APC has been dismissed as a news that is not only fake but also wicked, malicious and ridiculous.
The DEFENDER recalls that a viral tweet claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hosted Mallam Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at the Presidential Villa, on Wednesday April 23, 2025.
Kwankwaso is a former Minister, one-time Senator, erstwhile Kano State Governor, and former presidential candidate. Amid the defections of top Delta politicians like Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Ifeanyi Okowa, a claim surfaced about an alleged meeting between President Tinubu and Kwankwaso.
A source who would not like to be mentioned a d so did not disclose his identify alleged Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of being behind the rumoured Kwankwaso’s defection as, according to the source, “he was the first to say what does not exist when he said Kwankwaso is on his way to the APC.”
A well-followed X (formerly Twitter) page, A. Ayofe @abdullahayofel made a social media publication claiming that one-time presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu. A. Ayofe (@abdullahayofel) insinuated that the meeting happened in Aso Rock on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 — ahead of the 2027 election. Kwankwaso and Tinubu were opponents during the 2023 Nigerian presidential election.
His claim comes amid notable defections on Wednesday, April 23. It was reported how Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the same vein, the immediate past governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa, defected from the PDP to the APC. The announcement came two years after Okowa stood as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar of the PDP in the Nigerian presidential election.
Messrs Oborevwori and Okowa’s political steps elicited strong reactions across the state and Nigeria, with many expressing surprise over the their decision.
The caption of Ayofe’s video with some emojis reads: “BREAKING: Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in closed-door Meeting With President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu….Jagaban (referring to President Tinubu) master strategist.”
The video has been watched by more than 70,000 people, according to an online newspaper, and it has garnered 120+ replies, over 330 reposts, 1,100 likes, and 85 bookmarks.
A verification check chose that the video clip purporting the Tinubu and Kwankwaso meeting is an old video from an event of June 9, 2023. when President Tinubu met with Senator Kwankwaso, one of his key challengers in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, at Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Replying to The DEFENDER’s enquiry Thursday morning, a very close ally of Kwankwaso told The DEFENDER that, “He (Kwankwaso) hasn’t decided to join them (APC). These are all rumours as he didn’t even go to the Villa yesterday (Wednesday) because he was on his farm.”
Another watcher of event, angered by the rumour, said, “Without Tinubu’s backing but attempted mandate robbery, Kwankwaso and NNPP took over Kano in 2023. What would have informed his decision to now go and join Tinubu in APC? We were told he visited him in the Villa yesterday (Wednesday). It is impossible.”
Kwankwaso is an influential politician in Nigeria’s Northern region, who came fourth in the last presidential election as candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). At the time in June 2023, he was the first presidential candidate to visit Tinubu at Aso Rock. Lawmaker Abdulmumin Jibrin, former coordinator of a campaign group of Tinubu, joined the NNPP leader to the presidential villa.
Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, Kwankwaso said he discussed governance with the president. In the past year, Kwankwaso has been one of the vocal critics of President Tinubu.
Kwankwaso did not meet President Tinubu on a day big defections happened in Delta state. @abdullahayofel shared an old video.
Earlier, it was reported that Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South senatorial district, officially defected from the NNPP to the ruling APC. The former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters confirmed his defection in a brief statement to journalists in Kano.
Senator Sumaila was among four lawmakers previously suspended by the NNPP’s Hashimu Dungurawa-led faction in Kano over alleged anti-party activities.
In the meantime, six Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors’ defections to the ruling APC have been described as inconsequential to the success of the coalition against Timubu
