Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has been thrown into a fresh leadership crisis barely 48 hours after its national convention in Abuja, as a powerful faction within the party has rejected the election of Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed as National Chairman, describing the entire process as illegitimate and a calculated plot to hijack the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a press conference held in Kano on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the faction, led by Abdulmajid Yakubu Daudu, alleged that Baba-Ahmed is not even a registered member of the PRP and therefore cannot lawfully hold any office within the party. The group vowed to challenge the outcome of the convention in court, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle that could severely weaken the oldest social democratic party in Nigeria.
The convention, which took place over the weekend in Abuja, saw the emergence of Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum and a prominent political commentator, as the new National Chairman. However, the Kano-based faction insists that the gathering was not properly constituted, lacked valid delegates, and violated the party’s constitution. “Hakeem Baba-Ahmed is not a party member. He has never registered with the PRP. How can a non-member preside over the affairs of a party founded by the great Malam Aminu Kano?” Daudu asked journalists. He accused the new leadership of being a front for political mercenaries seeking to use the PRP as a vehicle for personal ambitions rather than advancing the ideals of social justice, grassroots empowerment and democratic socialism that the party has stood for since its founding in 1978.
Daudu further alleged that the convention was orchestrated by forces outside the party to lure politicians into the PRP for personal gain, a move he described as a betrayal of the party’s founding principles. “The PRP is not a marketplace for political opportunists. It is a movement of the common people. We will not allow anyone to convert it into a private estate,” he said. The faction also expressed concern that the new leadership might align the party with establishment forces, contrary to the PRP’s traditional role as a left-leaning opposition to the country’s dominant political parties. The statement from the Daudu-led group has already generated significant attention among political observers, many of whom note that the PRP has a long history of internal disputes. The party was founded by the late Mallam Aminu Kano, a renowned nationalist and socialist, and has historically drawn its strength from the North, particularly Kano State, where its grassroots structures remain influential.
Baba-Ahmed, who is yet to respond directly to the allegations, is a well-known political figure. He served as Secretary of the Northern Elders Forum and was a vocal critic of the previous administration. His brother, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, was the running mate of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in the 2023 election. The emergence of Hakeem Baba-Ahmed as PRP chairman was seen by some analysts as an attempt to revive the party and position it as a progressive alternative ahead of 2027. However, the immediate rejection by a faction rooted in Kano, the party’s traditional stronghold, suggests that the path to unity will be anything but smooth.
The faction’s decision to challenge the convention in court is not without precedent. The PRP has experienced multiple leadership tussles over the years, including a 2022 dispute that saw two factions laying claim to the party’s national leadership. In that instance, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised the faction led by the late Balarabe Musa’s loyalists, after a protracted legal battle. The new crisis, coming just months before the 2027 election cycle officially kicks off, could not have come at a worse time for the party, which had been hoping to build on recent electoral gains in local government elections in Kano and Kaduna states.
Political analysts note that the legitimacy of any political party’s leadership often hinges on the recognition of INEC. If the Daudu-led faction obtains a court order nullifying the Abuja convention, the commission could be forced to derecognise the Baba-Ahmed leadership, plunging the party into further chaos. Conversely, if the courts uphold the convention, the faction may be forced to either fall in line or defect to other opposition platforms. In either case, the PRP faces a difficult period of internal strife at a time when opposition parties are scrambling to present a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The reaction from the party’s National Executive Committee has been muted, with no official statement released as of the time of filing this report. Supporters of Baba-Ahmed, however, have dismissed the faction’s claims as sour grapes, arguing that the convention was properly conducted and that those who lost have resorted to litigation to achieve what they could not win at the ballot. “The PRP is bigger than any individual. The convention was transparent, and Dr Baba-Ahmed was duly elected. Those crying foul are just a few disgruntled elements who failed to get their way,” a member of the new National Working Committee told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The crisis also raises broader questions about the state of opposition politics in Nigeria. With the APC consolidating its hold on power, smaller parties like the PRP are fighting for relevance. A prolonged leadership dispute could further erode the party’s electoral prospects, especially in its traditional strongholds where voters are already disillusioned with political infighting. Yet, for the Daudu-led faction, the fight is about principle. “We will not compromise the integrity of the PRP. We are going to court, and we will win,” Daudu declared.
As the legal battle looms, the leadership of the PRP hangs in the balance. Whether Hakeem Baba-Ahmed will ultimately be recognised as the legitimate National Chairman or whether the Kano faction will succeed in voiding the convention will be determined by the courts. In the meantime, the party risks losing precious time that could have been spent on preparing for the 2027 elections. For a party founded on the ideals of social justice and grassroots democracy, the irony of its leaders spending more time in courtrooms than in communities is one that the ghost of Aminu Kano might find hard to ignore.
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