The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has expressed willingness to step aside and support another opposition contender in the 2027 general election if coalition partners agree on a consensus candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
Duke said he would respect a collective decision to endorse any aspirant, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar or the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, provided the process was democratic.
The former Cross River State governor spoke on Tuesday, November 10, in Abuja at the unveiling of his running mate, Malam Sule Mohammed, and the PRP manifesto.
He argued that opposition parties should prioritise agreeing on a common development agenda for Nigeria before deciding who should lead their proposed alliance.
According to him, a coalition built solely around securing the presidential ticket would fail to address the country’s underlying challenges.
Duke 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.
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“And if it’s any other person, I would do the same. I would respect it.”
The PRP candidate also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of enjoying an unfair advantage in campaign visibility, alleging that opposition parties were struggling to secure advertising spaces and venues for political activities.
He claimed that his party had repeatedly postponed its retreat because of difficulties securing suitable venues, while advertising costs in some states had reportedly reached ₦1 billion.
Meanwhile, PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the party would support opposition unity without surrendering its political structure to another party.
He maintained that the PRP was exploring possible alliances and could back one or two candidates capable of defeating the APC.
Baba-Ahmed said the opposition intended to enter the 2027 contest to win, rather than merely participate, adding that its proposed strategy would prioritise inclusion, security, economic recovery and national unity.