The Lagos State Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), James Adeshina, says the party’s presidential candidate, Donald Duke, can win the 2027 presidential election if he builds a strong grassroots structure and a broad-based political coalition.
Adeshina, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday, described Duke, a former two-term governor of Cross River State, as an experienced politician with national appeal and the leadership capacity to offer Nigerians a credible alternative.
He, however, stressed that Duke’s popularity and public recognition would not be enough to secure victory, noting that the candidate must build strong grassroots structures, forge strategic alliances and run a disciplined nationwide campaign.
“Winning the 2027 presidential election will require more than personal popularity or public recognition. It will require a strong grassroots political structure, strategic alliances and a disciplined campaign capable of reaching voters across Nigeria,” Adeshina said.
He urged Duke to immediately engage PRP stakeholders, including state chairmen, local government and ward leaders, to explore areas of cooperation and build a broad political platform.
According to him, the ward remains the foundation of electoral politics in Nigeria, making it necessary for Duke to translate his national visibility into effective grassroots mobilisation.
“The ward remains the foundation of electoral politics in Nigeria. Any presidential candidate who wants to win must understand that national visibility must be converted into grassroots organisation,” he said.
Adeshina also advised Duke to build a coalition involving progressive political parties, civil society organisations, youth groups, professional associations, community leaders and other influential stakeholders.
He said such an alliance should be driven by national interest and shared principles rather than individual political ambitions.
The PRP chairman further urged Duke to establish campaign structures across the 36 states, local government areas, wards and polling units, warning that the 2027 election could not be won through social media campaigns alone.
“The 2027 election will not be won on social media alone. Donald Duke must establish structures from the state level down to local governments, wards and polling units,” he said.
He also called on Duke to unveil a clear economic and development agenda capable of addressing the country’s pressing challenges, including unemployment, inflation, insecurity, inadequate electricity, poor healthcare, education and the rising cost of living.
“Nigerians need to know how a Donald Duke presidency would address unemployment, inflation, power supply, insecurity, education, healthcare and the high cost of living.
“The campaign must communicate practical solutions rather than slogans,” Adeshina said.
On youth participation, he urged Duke to make young Nigerians central to his political strategy, arguing that they should be involved in policy development, digital mobilisation, campaign management and governance planning rather than being used only for rallies.
“Young people should not merely be mobilised to attend rallies; they should participate in policy development, digital mobilisation, campaign management and governance planning,” he said.
Adeshina said the 2027 election should give Nigerians an opportunity to choose their leaders based on competence, ideas, accountability and a clear vision for the country’s future.
He urged Duke to present himself as a credible alternative to the established political order and to engage existing political structures as partners in the electoral process.
“Party chairmen, ward leaders and other grassroots stakeholders possess valuable knowledge of their communities and the electorate. They must be treated as partners, not merely as campaign machinery,” he said.
The PRP chairman said meaningful political engagement should begin with dialogue, consultation and mutual respect.
“If Donald Duke is serious about the 2027 presidency, I encourage him to begin by sitting down with PRP stakeholders, state chairmen and ward leaders to discuss the future of Nigeria and explore areas of cooperation.
“The 2027 election should not simply be about who occupies the presidency. It should be about what kind of Nigeria we want to build,” Adeshina said.
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