KADUNA — The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has pulled back the curtain on the failed political alliance involving former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and the leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Speaking during a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna, Baba Ahmed revealed that the party chose to protect its internal democratic processes over welcoming the two heavyweights on their own terms ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Automatic Ticket Stumbling Block

According to Baba-Ahmed, high-level discussions between the PRP leadership and the two prominent politicians collapsed after the camps of Obi and Kwankwaso demanded automatic access to the party's presidential and vice-presidential tickets as a precondition for joining.

"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," the PRP National Chairman explained. "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."

The PRP leadership insisted that regardless of their national political clout, both men would have to formally register as card-carrying members and participate in an open primary election without any backroom guarantees.

"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?" Baba-Ahmed questioned.

Demands for Party Executive Slots

Beyond the presidential ticket, the negotiations also stalled over structural control of the party. Due to the massive follower base both politicians command such as Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya movement and Obi's Obidient base their representatives requested that a substantial portion of the PRP’s national and state executive positions be handed over to their loyalists immediately upon defection.

While the PRP did not entirely dismiss the idea of power-sharing, the chairman noted that the party maintained its stance that structural discussions could only occur after formal integration into the party folders.

Portal Complexities and Internal Friction

The PRP chairman also admitted that minor administrative and structural concerns contributed to the breakdown of the talks. The visiting camps had raised questions regarding the visibility of the PRP’s updated executive list on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, alongside concerns about factional elements claiming leadership within the party. While Baba-Ahmed assured them that the INEC portal details had been fully sorted and internal disputes were being legally resolved, the hesitation from the politicians persisted.

Despite the collapse of what could have been a major political realignment, Baba-Ahmed emphasized that the separation was entirely amicable, with both parties maintaining mutual respect.

"We believed that if anyone entered a room and saw Obi and Kwankwaso, they would think strong contenders had arrived," he noted. "But we cannot break our party’s rules. We wished each other well and parted peacefully there was no quarrel or fight."