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Fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the 2027 general elections following claims by the National Chairman of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, that former Labor Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and New Nigerian People’s Party leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, failed to join the PRP because they allegedly wanted guaranteed access to the party’s presidential ticket.
Baba-Ahmed made this known in a Hausa political program aired on DITV Kaduna, where he revealed details of talks said to have taken place between the PRP and two political heavyweights before negotiations ultimately failed.
According to him, discussions initially started positively, and both camps reportedly showed interest in working with the PRP ahead of the next presidential election.
“They came and said they wanted to join the PRP, but when we sat down and discussed with them, there were certain demands they put forward,” he said.
The PRP chairman alleged that one of the main issues was the demand that Obi and Kwankwaso automatically get the party’s presidential ticket without facing internal competition.
“Before joining, they told us that they were presidential candidates, meaning they should be nominated. We said no, this is the PRP; we don’t do politics like that,” said Baba-Ahmed.
He explained that his party demands due process and internal democracy, and stressed that no candidate can be nominated without officially joining the party and participating in its procedures.
“I tell them: first come to the party. After joining, you can then say to me, ‘I am Obi and I want to run for President,’ and ‘I am Kwankwaso and I want to be his running mate.'”
“But if you come even before a decision is made and ask us to guarantee you an unopposed ticket if you are truly a strong contender, then why fear competition?” he asked.
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Baba-Ahmed said the PRP leadership recognized the political weight and popularity of the two politicians but insisted that the party could not compromise its constitution to accommodate personal ambitions.
“We believe that if someone enters a room and sees Obi and Kwankwaso, they will think a strong competitor has come. But we cannot break our party’s rules,” he said.
He further stated that both camps asked for important positions in the party structure because of the large number of supporters they wanted to bring.
“They asked to be given many positions because they said they had a lot of supporters. We told them, that’s not a problem, join the party first, then we’ll sit down and discuss,” he added.
However, the Kwankwasiyya Movement swiftly rejected the allegations and described Baba-Ahmed’s comments as an attempt to attract public attention by using the names of Kwankwasio and Obi.
Responding to the claims, the movement’s spokesperson, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, said the PRP chairman was distorting events for political gain.
“I am sure every Nigerian who knows 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 principals, and even members of the coalition, to move to the PRP,” he said.
Mohammed stated that apart from public calls, he was not aware of any official negotiations in which Kwankwaso or Obi sought an automatic ticket from the party leadership.
“I actually did not know that there was an official sitting between my principal, Peter Obi and the PRP as a party where my principal or Peter Obi directly asked for tickets,” he said.
Questioning the motive behind the accusation, the Kwankwasiyya spokesperson accused the PRP General Chair of deliberately using the names of the two politicians to remain politically relevant.
“I don’t know exactly what they want to prove. But the fact is that since my principal and Peter became the center of attention, I’m sure everyone wants to draw attention to themselves by saying these things.”
“I remember recently, ever since his younger brother joined his party, they were always discussing, saying one thing or another, either against Peter Obi or even my principal, or against both of them,” he added.
Mohammed stated that, to the best of his knowledge, there had never been an occasion where the two politicians approached the PRP to seek an automatic presidential candidate.
“But on the other hand, I don’t think, as far as I know, there will be a time when they will submit themselves to the PRP and demand to be nominated as president,” he said.
He also completely rejected the accusations, and emphasized that they had no substance and should not give rise to public debate.
“When it comes to their reasons for not remaining in the party, I believe it is a baseless and baseless claim, which should not receive any response from us,” he said.
Both Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have aligned themselves with the Democratic Congress of Nigeria as political consultations and coalition talks ahead of the 2027 presidential elections continue to reshape Nigeria’s opposition landscape.
