PRP Chairman Reveals How Peter Obi, Kwankwaso’s Tough Conditions Crashed Alliance Talks

Speaking during a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna, Baba-Ahmed disclosed that both Obi and Kwankwaso had approached the PRP for possible political collaboration, with discussions progressing to the stage where a committee was proposed to continue negotiations.

According to him, one of the key sticking points was the request by the two politicians to secure the party’s presidential ticket without internal contest, a demand the PRP leadership rejected.

Baba-Ahmed explained that the party insisted both politicians must formally become members of the PRP and follow established internal procedures before aspiring to any elective office.

“They approached us and expressed interest in joining the PRP, but during discussions, they made certain demands,” he said.

“They wanted assurances before even joining the party that they would emerge as presidential candidates. We told them that the PRP does not operate that way.”

He added that the party advised them to first register as members before discussing ambitions for the presidency or vice presidency.

“I told them to first join the party officially. After that, one can say, ‘I am Obi and I want to contest for president,’ while another can say, ‘I am Kwankwaso and I want to be vice president.’ But demanding guaranteed tickets before joining the party is against our principles,” he stated.

Baba-Ahmed noted that while the PRP recognised the political strength and influence of both politicians, the party could not compromise its constitution and internal democratic process.

He also revealed that both camps requested significant party positions because of the large number of supporters they intended to bring into the PRP.

“We acknowledged that Obi and Kwankwaso are strong political figures, but we cannot abandon our rules. They requested several positions within the party because they claimed they had many supporters. We told them to first join the party before such discussions could happen,” he said.

The PRP chairman further disclosed that concerns relating to the party’s status on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, as well as internal disputes involving individuals claiming membership of the party, also contributed to the collapse of the talks.

According to him, the politicians expressed concerns after allegedly failing to find the PRP’s name on the INEC portal and hearing reports of internal disagreements within the party.

“They raised concerns about not seeing our party listed on the INEC portal, though that issue has now been resolved. They also heard reports of people falsely claiming to be PRP members, which they feared could create confusion if they joined,” Baba-Ahmed added.

He, however, stressed that both sides ended the discussions peacefully without conflict or hostility.