2027: I Will Step Down For Atiku, Obi Or Any Consensus Candidate, Duke Declares

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has declared his readiness to step down for a formidable opposition candidate in the 2027 election if a consensus one emerges within the opposition coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu. adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Duke said he would respect a democratic decision by opposition parties to settle for another presidential candidate, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, provided such an agreement was reached through a collective process.

The former Cross River State governor spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the unveiling of his vice presidential candidate, Malam Sule Mohammed, and the PRP manifesto.

Asked whether he would step down for a stronger candidate if the PRP and the opposition coalition agreed to support one person against Tinubu, Duke said the purpose of a coalition should go beyond sharing political positions and selecting a presidential candidate.

He said opposition parties must first agree on a common vision for Nigeria before deciding who should lead the alliance.

“A coalition is not just about picking a presidential candidate. That’s the mistake we are all making. It’s about us coming together to agree on where we would like to take our nation to,” Duke said.

“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.”

He added: “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. And if it’s any other person, I would do the same. I would respect it.”

Duke stressed that the more important thing was not even the picking of a candidate, but the commonality and the direction the coalition wants to take Nigeria.

“We don’t want to replace the APC or the present administration with someone who would take us back again. So, if the candidates and the party agree that this is a person we should back, of course, that’s what is expected of me,” he said.

Duke also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of enjoying an overwhelming advantage in campaign visibility, alleging that opposition parties were facing difficulties securing venues and advertising spaces ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the situation was making it increasingly difficult for opposition candidates to reach voters across the country.

“You can see what is happening to other opposition parties who have been on the campaign train. If you go throughout the country, you hardly find their billboards and posters on the streets of the various cities across Nigeria,” he said.

“You only find one party, the APC. In some states, I’m told that you need to spend as much as N1bn for you to even begin to advertise.”