Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) nominee Donald Duke says opposition parties should agree on Nigeria’s direction before selecting a single challenger to President Bola Tinubu in 2027, making his offer to step aside conditional, Punch reported.
At the Abuja event, Duke framed coalition-building as a question of common goals as well as candidate selection. “A coalition is not just about picking a presidential candidate,” Duke said, Punch reported.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the PRP unveiled its manifesto, A Compact for Nigeria’s Renewal, and introduced Sule Mohammed as the vice-presidential running mate. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listed Duke and Sule Mohammed as the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates in its Oct. 31 update.
The coalition discussions involve more than the PRP. Premium Times reported that representatives of six parties — the African Democratic Congress, Allied Peoples Movement, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, PRP and Social Democratic Party — attended an Aug. 31 G100-facilitated summit in Abuja. ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi described the discussions as cooperation around elections and protecting votes. G100 convenor Salihu Lukman said a working group was expected to consider options for a common candidate.
Premium Times reported that it could not confirm whether working-group nominations were complete or whether the parties had adopted recommendations.
Voice of Nigeria separately reported that Duke urged political leaders to draw lessons from events before Nigeria’s 1966 crisis as they seek cooperation. Bayelsa State Gov. Douye Diri has accused Duke of using his presidential candidacy to seek political rehabilitation amid the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway dispute, a separate criticism of Duke’s 2027 presidential bid.
INEC’s election calendar sets Nigeria’s presidential vote for Jan. 16, 2027.
