Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau has praised Adewole Adebayo for having the same vision for Nigeria’s progress as him.

Speaking when he received the Social Democratic Party (SDP) chief during a condolence visit over the death of his elder brother, Shekarau recounted how their relationship began. He said his first encounter with Adebayo was through a televised interview during the presidential election race.

The ex-Minister of Minister of Education said: “My first interaction with him was on television. I watched his interview during the presidential race and appreciated all that he enunciated.”

According to him, his admiration prompted him to reach out through Adebayo’s associates to arrange a meeting. He said: “I sought his number and put a call through to him.

He wanted to come, but I insisted that I must be the one to visit him.” Shekarau said he was warmly received during the visit, and their discussions revealed a strong alignment in their aspirations for Nigeria.

He said: “We exchanged ideas and discovered we share the same vision for this dear country called Nigeria. I want to assure you that great minds think alike.”

The ex-governor added: “We may be in different political parties for now, but I have always said publicly that political parties are necessary evils. If there were other credible ways of identifying leadership, many people would have taken that route.”