Plot to Sack Tinubu: Top Presidential Candidate Offered to Step Down
- Donald Duke, the PRP presidential candidate, said his party could support another opposition candidate in 2027 if a consensus emerged from coalition talks
- Duke unveiled his running mate, Malam Sule Mohammed, and the party's manifesto in Abuja on Tuesday
- PRP National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said the party would not dissolve its structure but was open to backing one or two opposition candidates capable of defeating the APC
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The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has signalled his willingness to step aside in favour of a stronger opposition candidate in the 2027 election, should the opposition coalition reach a collective agreement on who should challenge President Bola Tinubu.
Duke made the remarks on Tuesday, November 10, in Abuja during the official unveiling of his running mate, Malam Sule Mohammed, and the launch of the PRP's election manifesto.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Duke said he would respect any democratic decision by opposition parties to rally behind a single candidate, whether that person was former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, or Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, as long as the choice came through a credible collective process.
Duke's conditions for any opposition deal
Duke was careful to set out what he believed a genuine coalition should look like. He argued that opposition parties could not simply converge around a name or a sharing of political positions. Any alliance, he said, must first be built on a common vision for Nigeria, and only then should the question of who leads it be settled.
He also raised concerns about the conditions opposition parties were operating under ahead of 2027. Duke alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress held an overwhelming advantage in campaign visibility, and accused the party of making it difficult for opposition candidates to book venues and secure advertising spaces, limiting their ability to reach voters across the country.
PRP open to coalition but not a merger
PRP National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed reinforced the party's position on opposition unity, saying the PRP was actively exploring ways to strengthen the coalition's chances without giving up its independent identity.
Baba-Ahmed was explicit that the party would not collapse its structure into another political party, drawing a clear line between building an alliance and surrendering the PRP's platform entirely.
He said the party was prepared to throw its weight behind one or two opposition candidates who stood a realistic chance of defeating the APC in 2027, insisting that the PRP was entering the race to win, not simply to participate. Baba-Ahmed expressed confidence that through negotiations and a shared strategy, the opposition could produce a candidate capable of mounting a serious challenge to the incumbent.
Source: Legit.ng
