JUST IN: Tinubu invites Kwankwaso to Aso Rock after meeting with Kano governor

President Bola Tinubu has invited Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, to the Presidential Villa following a meeting with Governor Abba Yusuf of Kanop state on Monday.

The meeting was held to discuss plans by Governor Yusuf to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and to make a final push to persuade Kwankwaso to join the ruling party.

Sources said the meeting, which lasted about an hour, was attended by Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Yusuf, the national chairman of the APC, Prof. Nnetawe Yilwatda, and Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president.

According to the sources, discussions at the meeting centred on briefing the president about Kwankwaso’s terms and conditions for joining the APC.

The governor was said to have asked Tinubu to grant Kwankwaso an audience to further persuade the Kwankwasiyya leader, after his own efforts failed.

A source said, “Nothing really significant was discussed during the meeting apart from issue of persuading Kwankwaso to join the APC; the issue of Kwankwaso is what matters to the president.”

The source added that Governor Yusuf did not demand automatic tickets for himself or members of the National and State Assemblies expected to defect with him.

Another source said, “No governor dares look into the president’s eyes and make that demand.”

It was gathered that Governor Yusuf had met Kwankwaso at his Miller Road residence in Kano two weeks ago, following a request by members of the state house of assembly to persuade him to meet with the president.

Sources said Yusuf is expected to resign from the NNPP on Wednesday, barring any last-minute change after Kwankwaso’s meeting with Tinubu.

Meanwhile, Tinubu is expected to host Kwankwaso at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

Kwankwaso, who had planned to visit Kano on Tuesday, reportedly cancelled the trip following the invitation to meet with the president.