The national chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, says the party turned down requests by Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for an automatic joint presidential ticket.
Baba-Ahmed disclosed this during an interview on a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna.
He explained that discussions on a possible political alliance had progressed to the stage where a joint committee was established before the talks eventually collapsed over disagreements regarding entry conditions.
According to him, Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State, wanted to join the PRP on the condition that they would automatically secure the party’s presidential ticket.
“We told them no, this is PRP; we do not practise that kind of politics,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He stressed that both politicians were required to formally join the party and participate in its democratic processes like every other aspirant.
“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,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
“But for you to come even before a decision is made and ask us to guarantee you the ticket without opposition… why fear competition?”
The PRP chairman acknowledged the political strength and popularity of both men, noting that “if anyone entered a room and saw Obi and Kwankwaso, they would think strong contenders had arrived.”
However, he maintained that the party would not compromise its constitution or democratic principles to accommodate them.
Baba-Ahmed also revealed that both camps requested a substantial share of party positions in exchange for the supporters they intended to bring into the PRP, adding that such negotiations could only happen after officially joining the party.