THE National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has explained why former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, failed to join the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna on Tuesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, Baba-Ahmed said talks between the PRP and both politicians collapsed after disagreements over conditions attached to their proposed entry into the party.
According to him, although Obi and Kwankwaso approached the PRP for possible collaboration, negotiations later stalled after both sides failed to reach an agreement.
“They came and said they wanted to join the PRP, but when we sat down and discussed with them, there were certain demands they made,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed explained that one of the key issues was the request by both politicians to secure the party’s presidential ticket without going through internal competition.
“Before they joined, they told us that they were the presidential candidates, meaning they should be given the ticket. We told them no, this is PRP; we do not practice that kind of politics,” he said.
The PRP chairman maintained that the party insisted any aspirant must first become a member of the party and comply with its constitutional procedures before contesting for any office.
“I told them: first come into the party. After joining, you can then tell me, ‘I am Obi, and I want to run for President,’ and ‘I am Kwankwaso, and I want to be his running mate.’
“But for you to come even before a decision is made and ask us to guarantee you the ticket without opposition if you are truly strong contenders, then why fear competition?” he queried.
Baba-Ahmed said the PRP leadership recognised the political influence and support base of both Obi and Kwankwaso but insisted the party could not compromise its internal democratic structures.
“We believed that if anyone entered a room and saw Obi and Kwankwaso, they would think strong contenders had arrived. But we cannot break our party’s rules,” he stated.
He further revealed that the two political camps also requested several party positions because of the supporters they intended to bring into the PRP.
“They requested that many positions be given to them because they said they had many supporters. We told them this was not a problem come into the party first, then we can sit down and discuss,” he added.
According to Baba-Ahmed, concerns surrounding the party’s registration status on the Independent National Electoral Commission portal, as well as internal disputes, also contributed to the breakdown of discussions.
“They said when they checked the INEC portal, they could not find our party’s name there, which has been addressed. But they also heard some people falsely claiming to be PRP members, which they felt could create confusion if they joined the party. We told them we are doing our best to address that too,” he explained.
The PRP chairman said the discussions eventually ended on a peaceful and cordial note.
“We wished each other well and parted peacefully, there was no quarrel or fight,” he said.
However, the Kwankwasiyya Movement swiftly dismissed Baba-Ahmed’s claims, accusing the PRP chairman of merely seeking attention.
Reacting to the allegations, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, said he was unaware of any arrangement as described by the PRP chairman.
“Well, I believe every Nigerian that is actually familiar with the situation will tell you that the PRP made an appeal on national television through its national chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, asking Peter Obi and my principal, and even members of the coalition, to move into the PRP,” he said.
Efforts to get Obi’s reaction to the development were unsuccessful as of Wednesday night.