The National Chairman of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has claimed that the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) counterpart, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, could not join the party ahead of the 2027 general elections due to disagreements over the party’s presidential ticket.

Baba-Ahmed, who spoke during a political programme on DITV Kaduna, said negotiations between the PRP and the two politicians collapsed after discussions over conditions for joining the party.

Speaking in Hausa, he said Obi and Kwankwaso initiated talks with the PRP for possible political collaboration, with discussions progressing to the point where a committee was proposed to continue negotiations.

But, according to him, one of the conditions allegedly presented by both politicians was a guarantee of the PRP presidential ticket without opposition.

“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.

“Before they joined, they told us that they were presidential candidates, meaning they should be given the ticket.

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“We told them no, this is PRP; we do not practice that kind of politics,” Baba-Ahmed stated.

The PRP National Chairman explained that the party insisted Obi and Kwankwaso must first become members and comply with its internal democratic procedures before seeking any elective 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 added that although the party recognised the political weight of both men, it could not compromise its constitution or democratic principles.

“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 said.

He further alleged that the camps of both politicians 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.

Responding to the allegation, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, denied knowledge of any meeting where Kwankwaso or Obi demanded the PRP presidential ticket.

“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.

Mohammed maintained that beyond the public invitation, he was unaware of any formal negotiations involving such demands.

“I’m not actually aware of any official sitting among my principal, Peter Obi and the PRP as a party where my principal or Peter Obi directly requested a ticket,” he said.

He also questioned the motive behind Baba-Ahmed’s remarks, suggesting they were aimed at attracting public attention.

“I don’t know what exactly they are trying to prove. But the reality is that since my principal and Peter became the centre of attraction, I believe everybody wants to attract some sort of attention to himself by saying these things.

“I think of late, since his younger brother joined his party, they have made it a point of talking, saying one thing or the other, either against Peter Obi or even my principal, or against the two of them,” he stated.

Mohammed insisted there was never a time Obi or Kwankwaso approached the PRP to demand automatic access to the party’s presidential ticket.

“But otherwise, I don’t think there was a time, not to my knowledge, when they presented themselves to the PRP and demanded to be given the presidential ticket,” he added.

He described the allegation as baseless and not deserving of serious attention.

“Talking about why they did not stay with that particular party, I believe it is a baseless, unsubstantiated claim, which ought not to have gained any response from us,” he said.

Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have since joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as part of preparations for the 2027 presidential election.