In the crystal structure of the title compound, C(18)H(11)N(5)O(2), two crystallographically independent molecules having the same composition and cis-cis conformation (arrangement of the pyridyl rings) are observed. A C-H.N hydrogen bond links the centrosymmetrically related molecules into a discrete pair [C.N = 3.462 (4) A], and the structure is stabilized further by pi-pi-stacking interactions between aromatic rings from two adjacent dimers.