2027: Donald Duke signals readiness to step down for consensus opposition candidate

The PRP presidential candidate says opposition parties must first agree on a common vision for Nigeria before deciding who should challenge President Bola Tinubu.

Former Governor Donald Duke has signalled his willingness to relinquish his 2027 presidential ambition in favour of a consensus opposition candidate if opposition parties reach a collective agreement.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the unveiling of his running mate, Sule Mohammed, and the party’s manifesto, Mr Duke said a coalition that merely brings politicians together to share political positions without agreeing on a common national vision would fail to address Nigeria’s challenges.

According to a report by The Punch, he was responding to a question on whether he would step down for a stronger candidate if the PRP and other opposition parties agreed to support one person against Mr Tinubu.

He said the coalition must first establish the direction in which it wants to take the country before deciding who should lead it.

“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,” he said.

Although he acknowledged the prominence of the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar and that of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, he said he did not want to prejudge the outcome of the negotiations.

“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,” he said.

Mr Duke added that he would expect other presidential aspirants to demonstrate the same willingness to respect a collective decision if he emerged as the preferred candidate.

“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,” he said.

He cautioned, however, against replacing the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration with another government that would reproduce the same governance failures.

“We don’t want to replace the APC or the present administration with someone who would take us back again,” he said.

The former governor also accused the ruling APC of enjoying an overwhelming advantage in campaign visibility, alleging that opposition parties were struggling to secure advertising spaces and venues for political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the dominance of APC billboards and posters in cities across the country reflected the difficulties opposition candidates faced in reaching voters.

“You can see what is happening to other opposition parties who have been on the campaign trail. 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,” he said.

Mr Duke alleged that advertising spaces had become prohibitively expensive in some states, with political parties reportedly required to spend as much as N1 billion to begin advertising campaigns.

He said the financial burden would be particularly significant for parties seeking national visibility across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The PRP presidential candidate also said his party had repeatedly postponed its retreat because it struggled to secure venues.

“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,’” he said.

PRP rejects calls to surrender party structure

The PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the party was exploring ways to strengthen opposition unity but would not dissolve its political structure into another party.

He said the party was willing to support one or two opposition candidates capable of defeating the APC but insisted that participating in a coalition did not mean abandoning its identity.

“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,” he said.

Mr Baba-Ahmed said discussions about possible political realignments remained open, adding that the party was assessing the available options.

He also rejected suggestions that the PRP was participating in the 2027 election merely to make up the numbers.

He said the party was committed to negotiations that would produce a viable opposition alliance, with an agenda addressing insecurity, economic hardship, youth participation and the protection of vulnerable communities.

“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,” he said.

He added that the proposed coalition should offer Nigerians confidence in a country where religion or geographical origin would not determine citizens’ access to opportunities or expose communities to vulnerability.

“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,” he said.

Mr Duke’s remarks are coming on the heels of renewed efforts by opposition parties to establish an alliance capable of challenging Mr Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.