A former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Tuesday met with the Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Hussaini Mairiga, in a move to resolve the lingering crisis within the party.
Mairiga confirmed the meeting in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, noting that it involved key stakeholders of the party at the state level.
According to him, the engagement was aimed at addressing disagreements over the party’s structure and leadership in Kano State.
Following the meeting, Mairiga, in a statement, announced that the crisis had been resolved and expressed support for Kwankwaso’s leadership.
He said, “We had a fruitful discussion with Sen. Kwankwaso and other critical stakeholders of our great party. All lingering issues have been amicably resolved in the interest of unity and progress.
“As a party, we have agreed to move forward together, and we recognise Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as our leader in Kano State.”
Mairiga further urged party members to remain calm and committed to the ideals of the NDC, stressing that unity was key to achieving success in future elections.
“I call on all our members to remain steadfast and work collectively for the growth of the party. This resolution marks a new beginning for the NDC in Kano,” he added.
The development follows days of tension within the Kano chapter of the party after Kwankwaso’s defection to the NDC alongside Peter Obi, a move that sparked concerns over control of the party structure.
The crisis deepened after the state chairman had earlier rejected alleged moves to cede leadership of the party to the former governor, insisting that the existing executives would not surrender control.
He had also disclosed that attempts to integrate Kwankwaso into the party initially stalled due to disagreements over leadership arrangements, with both sides holding separate meetings that failed to produce a consensus.
The situation further escalated amid claims that the party’s planned state congress was suspended, fuelling suspicions among some members over possible moves to restructure the party leadership in Kano.