•We rejected Obi, Kwankwaso’s request for presidential ticket — Baba-Ahmed
•PRP chair seeking attention, says Kwankwasiyya Movement
KANO—The National Chairman of Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, has said former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and leader of New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, failed to join the PRP, ahead of the 2027 general elections, because they wanted the presidential tickets which was not obliged.
Speaking during a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna, Baba-Ahmed said discussions between the PRP and the two politicians broke down after disagreements over conditions for joining the party.
But the Kwankwasiyya Movement in a swift reaction, dismissed the claim, saying the PRP chairman was only seeking attention. Efforts to get Peter Obi’s reaction proved abortine last night.
However, Baba-Ahmed said Obi and Kwankwaso initially approached the PRP for possible collaboration and negotiations before things progressed to the point where a committee was proposed to continue talks.
“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 said one of the major issues was the request by both politicians to secure the party’s presidential ticket without facing internal opposition.
He said: “Before they joined, they told us that they were presidential candidates, meaning they should be given the ticket. We told them no, this is PRP; we do not practice that kind of politics.’’
The PRP chairman stated that the party insisted that Obi and Kwankwaso must first formally join the PRP and follow its laid-down procedures before seeking any elective position.
“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 acknowledged the political influence and support base of both men but maintained that the party could not violate its constitution and internal democratic process.
“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 disclosed further that the camps of the two politicians also requested a significant number of 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.
PRP chairman only seeking attention, says Kwankwaso’s camp
Reacting yesterday, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, dismissed Baba-Ahmed’s allegations, saying he was not aware of any such arrangement.
“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.
He added that beyond the public appeal, he was not aware of any formal meeting where such demands were made.
Mohammed said: “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.’’
While questioning the motive behind the claims, the Kwankwasiyya scribe said: “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 maintained that, to his knowledge, there was never a time both politicians approached the PRP to demand a presidential ticket.
He added: “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.’’
Mohammed also described the claim as unfounded, insisting it should not have warranted a response.
“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.
Recall that Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have since joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, to fulfill their presidential ambitions.