2027: Fayemi dismisses report of closed-door meeting with Kwakwanso
A former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has denied reports claiming that he held a closed-door meeting with a former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, at his Abuja residence.
Fayemi, the immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, dismissed the report in a statement issued by the Head of his Media Office, Ahmad Sajoh, on Thursday, describing the claim as false and urging the public to disregard it.
The report, which circulated on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, was shared by several social media handles alongside a video clip showing Fayemi greeting Kwankwaso at his residence.
The development comes amid heated politicking in Kano State, where Governor Abba Yusuf, parted ways with Kwankwaso to defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress to work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Kwankwaso has described the shocking defecting as the worst betrayal he has witnessed in his life,
In a Thursday statement, Fayemi, a chieftain of the APC, clarified that the video of him and Kwankwaso is old.
“Dr Fayemi has only met Senator Kwankwaso once in the last year, and that occasion was at the public book launch of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN),” the statement said.
It added, “At no time has Dr Fayemi held, or is he holding, any closed-door political meeting with Senator Kwankwaso as suggested by the post.”
The former governor acknowledged that he and Kwankwaso have been friends since their time as governors but stressed that their relationship is personal and non-partisan.
He noted that the friendship is “based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to the progress of Nigeria, rather than on any political alignment.”
Fayemi also cautioned against attempts by political actors to attach partisan interpretations to private relationships, noting that many of his friends and associates are either not involved in partisan politics or belong to different political persuasions.
The statement added that Fayemi’s associates “span the entire spectrum of Nigeria’s political terrain.”
It therefore reaffirmed the former governor’s commitment to national unity, principled engagement, and responsible public discourse.
