The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has expressed his willingness to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest and support another opposition politician if the coalition agrees on a candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
Duke said he would have no difficulty backing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress or any other contender selected by opposition parties through a collective democratic agreement.
He made the statement on Tuesday in Abuja during the formal introduction of the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Malam Sule Mohammed, and the unveiling of its manifesto.
Responding to questions about whether he would abandon his presidential ambition in favour of another aspirant, Duke said opposition parties should establish a common national agenda before deciding who would represent the alliance in the 2027 election.
He maintained that the purpose of bringing opposition groups together should be to agree on a shared vision for the country rather than concentrate solely on choosing a presidential candidate.
He said, “A coalition is not just about picking a presidential candidate. That’s the mistake we’re all making. It’s about us coming together to agree on where we would like to take our nation to. You’ve called names of two eminent politicians, but that may not be enough. So, I don’t want to presuppose anything. But at the end of the day, I’ll be sportsmanlike about it.
“If the group, and so far there are quite a number of us, comes up with an agreement that this is the best person to lead the coalition, you can’t say you’re a Democrat and not be subject to the rules of democracy. Of course, if it’s me, I hope they would do the same.
“And if it’s any other person, I would do the same. I would respect it. But you can’t call for a coalition, then disagree if you don’t follow your part. But as I said, the more important thing is not even the picking of a candidate; it’s the commonality and the direction that we want to take Nigeria to.
“We don’t want to replace the APC or the present administration with someone who would take us back again. So, if the candidates and the party agree that this is a person we should back, of course, that’s what is expected of me.”
The PRP candidate also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of having greater access to campaign publicity platforms, alleging that opposition parties were encountering obstacles in obtaining advertising spaces and venues for their political engagements.
He argued that the situation had created an imbalance in campaign visibility, leaving opposition politicians with limited opportunities to promote their activities and connect with voters in different parts of the country.
He said, “You can see what is happening to other opposition parties who have been on the campaign train. If you go throughout the country, you hardly find their billboards and posters on the streets of the various cities across Nigeria.
“You only find one party, the APC. In some states, I’m told that you need to spend as much as N1b for you to even begin to advertise and all that. Now, if you’re running at a national level and you’re looking at 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, you would be talking about a lot of money here.
“Now, as it pertains to us in the PRP, we had to postpone this retreat several times because we were deprived of venues. Sometimes, they’ll tell you, ‘ Oh, the date has been booked. Go to other venues.”
Meanwhile, PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, disclosed that the party was examining possible arrangements for closer cooperation with other opposition groups but would not surrender its organisational structure to another political platform.
He said the party was willing to endorse one or two opposition contenders with the electoral strength to defeat the APC in 2027, stressing that participating in the coalition would not require the PRP to give up its identity.
He said, “Well, as it pertains to us in the PRP, if you ask us about the current state of our campaign, we will tell you. But we can’t collapse the structure for anybody because that time is over.
“The best we can do is to improve our unity by supporting one or two candidates to defeat this APC that has not been defeated in 2027. But discussion around collapsing the PRP to join another party now is not against the law.
“But we are looking at all these options. We know what we can do and what we cannot. What is good about what we are doing now is that it is showing us the best way to approach things.”
Baba-Ahmed further dismissed the notion that the PRP was participating in the forthcoming election merely to increase the number of contestants, expressing confidence that opposition negotiations could produce a candidate capable of securing victory.
He said the coalition would consider different possibilities for challenging the ruling party while focusing on election strategies, improved representation for women and young people, stronger protection for communities facing insecurity and equal opportunities for Nigerians irrespective of their faith or place of origin.
He said, “There are many options we have (in the coalition). Any one of those three or four can wrest this country back from the APC. We will discuss our inspiring roles in the Coalition for Democracy, the emerging consensus among opposition parties in which our party plays a leading role.
“We will discuss how we will win elections without stolen fortunes. We will adopt strategies that give voices to women and the young Nigerian; courage to beleaguered communities under constant attack from all manner of killers, kidnappers and terrorists; comfort to those who agonise over whether Nigeria has any place for them, and confidence that we can build a country where your faith or geography bestows neither an advantage nor vulnerability on you and your community.
“We have faith that Nigerians will choose wisely in 2027, and disappoint those who think we are cheap and disposable. We are ready to be part of the change we all need. Nigeria must survive 2027. We are not in the race for leadership in 2027 just to make up the numbers. We are in this contest to win.”
