2027: PRP Chairman Says Donald Duke Is Better Than Other Candidates, but Coalition Is Key

People’s Redemption Party (PRP) National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has described the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Donald Duke, as better than other contenders while acknowledging that the quality of an individual candidate alone would not determine the outcome of the election. Vanguard News
Baba-Ahmed made the statement during an interview with Arise News on Wednesday as opposition parties continue discussions over a possible coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Candidate for candidate, we think we have the best. We’re very fortunate to have him. So, candidate for candidate, Donald Duke is better than all the candidates out there,” he said.
He, however, said the PRP was not relying solely on Duke’s credentials, arguing that electoral success would require broader political organisation. He said this was why the party was actively involved in coalition-building efforts with other opposition groups.
“However, we’re realistic enough to know that just the quality of your candidate doesn’t just win the election,” Baba-Ahmed said, adding that the coalition process should be based on consensus and constitutional principles.
The PRP chairman said the party would not insist that Duke automatically become the presidential candidate of any eventual coalition simply because of its assessment of him. “We don’t want to prejudge or preempt anything by saying, ‘Because he’s the best, he has to be the candidate,’” he said. The Sun Nigeria
Duke emerged as the PRP’s presidential candidate after the party’s May 2026 primary. The former Cross River State governor was subsequently cleared by the party’s National Working Committee, while the Independent National Electoral Commission later listed him among the presidential candidates for the 2027 election. News Agency of Nigeria
Baba-Ahmed said the wider opposition coalition should focus on bringing together parties with similar principles and improving their collective capacity ahead of the election. He said the process was about more than individual political ambitions and should address Nigeria’s broader challenges.
“Nigeria must, in the next four years, make a difference in the manner in which this country either develops or moves away from its fault lines, or just simply sinks into that. It really is that important,” he said. Arise News
His comments came a day after the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit challenging Duke’s emergence as the PRP presidential candidate. The court held that the case was statute-barred, according to reports.