Opposition must bury ego to defeat APC in 2027 – Duke

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and former governor of Cross Rivers state, Donald Duke,  on Sunday called on opposition politicians to bury personal ego and ambition if they are serious about defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.

Duke said the greatest challenge facing the opposition was not necessarily the strength of the ruling party but the inability of opposition politicians to put aside individual interests and work towards a common objective.

Speaking in an interview with reporters in Abuja, he said politicians seeking to challenge the APC must be prepared to negotiate, compromise and build a coalition around a shared national vision.

He stated further that opposition politicians cannot continue to pursue individual presidential ambitions while hoping to defeat an incumbent political structure with a nationwide network.

He said the opposition needed to understand that political victory in 2027 would require collaboration rather than fragmentation.

Duke argued that Nigerians were looking for a credible alternative and that opposition politicians had a responsibility to provide one.

He said the political class must move beyond the question of who would occupy the presidency and first agree on what should be done to rescue the country from its economic and security challenges.

The PRP candidate added that personal ambition had repeatedly undermined attempts to build effective political coalitions in Nigeria.

He warned that if opposition parties continued to approach the 2027 election as separate platforms for individual ambitions, they could end up dividing the anti-APC vote and inadvertently strengthen the ruling party.

Duke said a serious opposition alliance must be built around ideas, competence and a commitment to national development.

He also called for greater emphasis on the issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, including the high cost of living, unemployment, insecurity, energy and inadequate infrastructure.

He stated that  the opposition must convince Nigerians that it has not merely come together to acquire political power but has a coherent plan for governing the country.

Duke said the challenge before opposition leaders was therefore bigger than securing individual nominations.

“They have to bury their egos,” he said, adding that personal ambitions should not be allowed to stand in the way of a broader national objective.