Obi, Kwankwaso failed to join PRP over presidential ticket guarantees — Baba-Ahmed

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has explained why former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso did not join the party, citing demands for presidential ticket assurances and concerns over electoral administration.

PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, disclosed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

He said the former candidates raised concerns over whether the party could guarantee them presidential and vice-presidential tickets, as well as accommodate their political structures within the party.

According to him, the duo also expressed concern over delays by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recognising the party’s national leadership.

“Well, they had issues about whether the party can guarantee that they emerge as presidential and vice presidential candidates. They had questions about whether we could guarantee that a huge number of places could be made available to them because they are coming in with a movement into our party,” he said.

“They also had issues with the fact that INEC deliberately refused to upload our new executive for a long time. I think they were right that it represented some worry that we had a problem with INEC. So they moved on,” he added.

Obi and Kwankwaso, who were presidential candidates in the 2023 election, recently joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after exiting the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Their move followed months of coalition engagements under the ADC, which they later left due to shifting political interests.