Donald Duke open to stepping aside for a united opposition candidate in 2027

Former Governor Donald Duke has shown he is ready to step back from his 2027 presidential plans for a united opposition candidate if the opposition parties can agree.

Mr Duke, the candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), stated he would accept a democratic choice by the opposition parties to support a stronger candidate against President Bola Tinubu. He stressed that any opposition coalition should be more than just picking a presidential candidate.

While speaking on Tuesday in Abuja during the launch of his running mate, Sule Mohammed, and the party’s manifesto, Mr Duke said a coalition that simply brings politicians together to share political positions without a shared national vision would not solve Nigeria’s problems.

He was replying to a question on whether he would step aside for a stronger candidate if the PRP and other opposition parties could agree on one person against Mr Tinubu. He stated the coalition must first decide the direction it wants to take Nigeria before choosing a leader.

“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.

Though he recognized the strength of Atiku Abubakar from the African Democratic Congress and Peter Obi from the Nigeria Democratic Congress, he did not want to guess the outcome of their talks. “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 expects other presidential hopefuls to show the same readiness to accept a group decision if he turns out to be the chosen 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 warned against replacing the All Progressives Congress (APC) with another administration that would repeat past mistakes. “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 having a big advantage in campaign visibility. He claimed that opposition parties are finding it hard to get advertising spaces and venues for political events ahead of the 2027 elections.

He pointed out that the many APC billboards and posters in cities show the challenges opposition candidates face 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 claimed that advertising spaces have become very expensive in some states, with political parties needing to spend as much as N1 billion to start advertising campaigns. He said this financial pressure would hit parties wanting to be visible across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The PRP presidential candidate also mentioned that his party has had to delay its retreat multiple times because it could not 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.

The PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, stated the party is looking for ways to strengthen opposition unity but will not dissolve its political structure into another party. He mentioned that the party is willing to support one or two opposition candidates who can beat the APC but insisted that joining a coalition does not mean losing 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 talks about possible political realignments are ongoing. He added that they are evaluating their options and rejected claims that the PRP is in the 2027 election just to add to the numbers.

He emphasized that the party is dedicated to discussions that will create a strong opposition alliance. This alliance will tackle issues like insecurity, economic hardship, youth participation, and protecting 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 also stated that the proposed coalition should give Nigerians confidence in a country where religion or geography does not limit access to opportunities or put communities at risk.

“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 comments come as opposition parties work to form an alliance that can challenge Mr Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that representatives of six opposition parties, including the PRP, ADC, NDC, Allied Peoples Movement, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, and the Social Democratic Party, attended an opposition summit in Abuja on 31 August.

The summit, organized by the G100 opposition unity initiative, agreed to set up committees and working groups to create proposals on political cooperation, a common national reform program, and the possibility of presenting a single presidential candidate.

But disagreements over the proposed plan have continued, especially about whether the coalition should create a common presidential candidate or focus on working together during elections.

In October, the ADC stated that the G100 discussions were not solely meant to produce a single presidential candidate but to explore ways to work together during elections, including strategies for protecting votes.

The PRP’s position adds another layer to the discussions, with its leaders showing readiness to back a common opposition candidate while keeping the party’s independent political structure.