ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The political camp of former Kano State governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has fired back at the National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PDP), PRP, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, over claims that Kwankwaso and former Labour Party presidential cand!idate, Peter Obi, demanded automatic presidential tickets before agreeing to join the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The sharp reaction followed comments made by Baba-Ahmed during a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna, where he alleged that talks between the PRP and the two opposition figures collapsed because they wanted guaranteed access to the party’s presidential ticket without contest.
According to Baba-Ahmed, both Kwankwaso and Obi approached the PRP for possible political collaboration as consultations ahead of the 2027 presidential election intensified.
He claimed that discussions initially progressed smoothly until the issue of presidential tickets and party positions surfaced.
“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 said.
The PRP chairman alleged that one of the major conditions presented by the two politicians was that they should be handed the party’s presidential ticket without internal opposition.
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“Before they joined, they told us that they were 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 stated.
Baba-Ahmed further explained that the PRP leadership insisted that both men must first formally join the party and follow laid-down democratic procedures before aspiring to any position.
“I told them: first come into the party. After joining, you can then say, ‘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 opposition9 if you are truly strong contenders, then why fear competition?” he queried.
He also claimed that the camps of both politicians requested strategic party positions because of the supporters they intended to bring into the PRP.
“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,” Baba-Ahmed added.
But reacting to the allegation, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, dismissed the claims as false, insisting that Kwankwaso never demanded any presidential ticket from the PRP.
Mohammed accused Baba-Ahmed of seeking political relevance and public attention by dragging the names of Kwankwaso and Obi into unnecessary controversy.
“Well, every Nigerian familiar with the situation knows that the PRP itself publicly appealed to Peter Obi, my principal and members of the coalition to join the party,” he said.
The Kwankwasiyya spokesperson maintained that he was unaware of any formal meeting where Kwankwaso or Obi demanded automatic tickets from the PRP leadership.
“I’m not aware of any official sitting involving my principal, Peter Obi and the PRP where they requested to be handed the presidential ticket,” Mohammed stated.
He further questioned the motive behind Baba-Ahmed’s remarks, saying the PRP chairman appeared determined to remain politically relevant by constantly mentioning Kwankwaso and Obi.
“I don’t know what exactly they are trying to prove. Since my principal and Peter Obi became the centre of political attention, everybody now wants to attach themselves to them by making one claim or another,” he said.
Mohammed described the allegation as baseless and unsubstantiated, insisting it did not deserve serious attention.
“Talking about why they did not remain in that party, I believe it is a baseless claim that should not even warrant a response,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kwankwaso and Obi have since pitched their political tents with the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as realignments and coalition talks ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to reshape the political landscape.