The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has ruled out regional considerations in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2027 election, insisting that competence and leadership ability will be its primary criteria.
Speaking on Arise Television on Thursday, June 4, the party’s National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the PRP would not restrict its presidential ticket to any particular part of the country.
He explained that the party is more interested in finding a capable leader than satisfying zoning arrangements or balancing ethnic and religious interests.
According to Baba-Ahmed, Nigeria’s political experience has shown that regional origin does not automatically translate into effective leadership.
“Fielding a candidate from a particular zone is not important. I believe that it doesn’t matter where the candidate is coming from.
“Insisting that the president must come from one part of the country has damaged this country beyond anything you can imagine.
“Look, we lived for eight years under a very inept, incompetent, and indifferent administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. He was from the north,” he said.
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The PRP chairman argued that political parties should focus on identifying individuals with the capacity to govern effectively rather than prioritising where they come from.
He maintained that the party would field a presidential candidate irrespective of the person’s ethnic, religious or geographical background, provided such a candidate possesses the qualities required to lead the country.
His comments come as political discussions around zoning and power rotation continue to gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election.
While several political stakeholders have advocated maintaining regional power-sharing arrangements, Baba-Ahmed said the country’s leadership challenges require a shift towards merit-based politics.
He stressed that the PRP’s position is rooted in the belief that national development depends on capable leadership rather than regional calculations.
The party, he said, remains committed to presenting a candidate it believes can address Nigeria’s economic, security and governance challenges, regardless of the candidate’s place of origin.