The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has urged opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that President Bola Tinubu remains a formidable political opponent who should not be underestimated.
Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, made the call in an interview shared by Symfoni podcast on its YouTube channel on Friday.
The PRP presidential candidate said the opposition would struggle to defeat Tinubu if political parties and their candidates continued to pursue separate interests.
He said the advantage of incumbency gives the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) significant leverage during elections, particularly through its control of key government institutions.
“Even if the APC did nothing, right? They’re the party in power. If there’s a problem on that day, the IG of police will not go to any of the contestants. He’ll go to the president.
“So everything is skewed in favour of incumbent. Respect that,” Duke said.
According to him, opposition parties must put aside personal ambitions and build a broad coalition capable of mounting a serious challenge to the ruling party.
“The only way you can seriously charge tackling incumbent is to come together to tackle and to have the force.
“Otherwise, you’ll be factionalised. So, I think when you talk of rigging, we’re rigging it against ourselves because of our ego. We need to come together,” he said.
Duke also cautioned opposition politicians against underestimating Tinubu’s political experience and influence, describing the president as a politician who requires serious preparation to challenge.
“Bola Tinubu is not an average politician. You don’t go to fight a lion who also has horns,” he said.
Explaining the analogy, the former governor said an opposition divided by competing interests would be vulnerable against a politically powerful incumbent.
“Can you imagine a lion with a horn? Yes, right? It’s already a dangerous animal.
“Then you now give it a horn and you say go and fight it with knife and fork. You’ll be the dinner. So, let’s get real,” Duke said.
He maintained that opposition politicians must recognise the realities of incumbency and focus on building a united political force rather than allowing individual ambitions to weaken their chances at the polls.
Duke’s comments come amid growing consultations, political realignments and alliance-building among opposition parties and politicians ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Several opposition groups have been exploring possible alliances and coalition arrangements aimed at challenging the APC and President Tinubu.
As the PRP’s presidential candidate, Duke is also among the opposition figures seeking the presidency in 2027. His call for unity adds to the growing debate over whether Nigeria’s opposition parties can overcome their competing interests and establish a common platform capable of mounting a credible challenge to the incumbent.
