The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba Ahmed, has explained why talks with former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso failed ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna, Baba-Ahmed said both politicians approached the PRP for possible collaboration, but discussions later collapsed because of disagreements over conditions for joining the party.
According to him, Obi and Kwankwaso wanted assurance that they would get the party’s presidential ticket without facing opposition from other members.
He said the PRP rejected the request, insisting that anyone interested in contesting must first join the party officially and follow its internal rules.
Baba-Ahmed said the party respected the political strength of both men but could not ignore its constitution or democratic process.
“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 asked.
“We believed that if anyone entered a room and saw Obi and Kwankwaso, they would think strong contenders had arrived,” he said. “But we cannot break our party’s rules.”
He also revealed that the camps of Obi and Kwankwaso asked for several party positions because of the large number of supporters they planned to bring into the PRP.
The PRP chairman added that concerns over the party’s status on the INEC portal and internal disputes within the party also affected the negotiations.
Despite the failed talks, Baba-Ahmed said both sides ended the discussions peacefully without any conflict.
