PRP alliance talks collapse over automatic ticket request

The National Chairman of the People’s Redemption Party, PRP, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has revealed why discussions involving and over joining the party failed ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Baba-Ahmed disclosed that negotiations between the PRP and representatives of the two politicians advanced significantly before disagreements over conditions for participation forced both sides to abandon the talks.

Speaking during an interview on ITV, the PRP chairman explained that Obi and Kwankwaso’s camp allegedly requested guarantees for the party’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets before formally joining the party.

According to him, the request contradicted the PRP’s internal democratic process and political principles.

Baba-Ahmed speaks on failed negotiations

Baba-Ahmed said the politicians initially approached the party for collaboration, and discussions moved to the stage where both camps considered setting up a committee to continue negotiations.

However, he said the talks later hit a stumbling block when demands emerged concerning automatic candidacy.

“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,” Baba-Ahmed stated.

He explained that the PRP leadership rejected any arrangement that would hand over presidential tickets without due process.

According to him, the party insisted that every aspirant must first become a registered member before contesting through its established structures.

“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 practise that kind of politics,” he said.

The PRP chairman stressed that the party would not compromise its constitution or abandon its democratic culture because of the popularity of any political figure.

PRP insists on internal democracy

Baba-Ahmed maintained that the PRP welcomes influential politicians but would not bypass internal competition to favour any aspirant.

He argued that strong political contenders should not fear open contests within a party structure.

“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,’” he explained.

“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 added.

The PRP chairman admitted that the combination of Obi and Kwankwaso could have created a formidable political force ahead of the 2027 election.

He noted that many observers viewed the pair as strong contenders capable of reshaping Nigeria’s opposition politics.

Still, he insisted that party rules must remain supreme.

“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.

Dispute over party positions and INEC concerns

Baba-Ahmed further disclosed that the politicians’ camp allegedly requested strategic positions within the party structure for their loyalists because of their support base across the country.

He said the PRP leadership did not reject the idea outright but insisted such discussions could only happen after formal membership.

“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.

The PRP chairman also addressed concerns allegedly raised by Obi and Kwankwaso’s associates regarding the party’s visibility on the portal of the .

According to him, questions also emerged over individuals allegedly posing as PRP members, creating fears of possible internal confusion.

“They said when they checked the INEC portal, they could not find our party’s name there, which has been addressed,” Baba-Ahmed explained.

“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 added.

Talks ended peacefully, says PRP chairman

Despite the collapse of the negotiations, Baba-Ahmed said both parties maintained cordial relations and ended the engagement without hostility.

He emphasized that there was no quarrel or political confrontation after the talks failed.

“We wished each other well and parted peacefully; there was no quarrel or fight,” he stated.

The development comes amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election, as opposition figures continue consultations aimed at building stronger alliances capable of challenging the ruling establishment.

Political observers believe discussions involving Obi and Kwankwaso may continue with other opposition platforms in the coming months as coalition talks intensify across the country.

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