2027: Peter Obi, Kwankwaso want automatic tickets from our party – PRP Chairman reveals

In what could be described as the reason behind why two politicians, namely Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, did not join the People’s Redemption Party before the 2027 general election period, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, recently stated why it happened.

According to reports from a Hausa language political programme carried out on the DITV Kaduna platform on Tuesday, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed disclosed the reason behind why Obi and Kwankwaso, who have approached the PRP for collaboration before, were unable to join the party due to disagreement over the terms of their participation in the party.

“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 a key issue was their request to be guaranteed the party’s presidential ticket without going through internal competition.

“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,” he said.

He maintained that the PRP insisted that any aspirant must first become a member of the party and comply with its constitutional processes before contesting for any 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 asked.

Baba-Ahmed noted that while the PRP recognised the political influence of both figures, the party would not compromise its internal democratic structures.

“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 stated.

He also revealed that the two political camps sought assurance of several party positions based on their claimed support base.

“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.

According to him, concerns about the party’s registration status on the Independent National Electoral Commission portal, as well as internal disputes, also contributed to the breakdown of discussions.

“They said when they checked the INEC portal, they could not find our party’s name there, which has been addressed. But they also heard some people falsely claiming to be PRP members, which they felt could create confusion if they joined the party. We told them we are doing our best to address that too,” he explained.

Baba-Ahmed said the discussions ended on a cordial note, saying that “We wished each other well and parted peacefully, there was no quarrel or fight,” he said.