Tinubu not an average politician, Duke rallies opposition for unity

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, Donald Duke, has urged opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2027 general election, describing President Bola Tinubu as a formidable political opponent who should not be underestimated.

Duke, a former Cross River State governor, spoke in an interview shared by Symfoni, a podcast on its YouTube channel on Friday.

The PRP candidate said the opposition would struggle to defeat Tinubu if political parties and their candidates remained divided, stressing that the advantage of incumbency gives the ruling party significant leverage during elections.

According to him, the control of government institutions by the incumbent gives the president an edge that opposition politicians must take seriously.

“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.

He argued that the opposition could only mount a credible challenge by setting aside individual ambitions and forming a strong coalition.

“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 warned opposition politicians against underestimating Tinubu’s political experience and strength, using an analogy to illustrate the difficulty of defeating the incumbent without adequate preparation.

“Bola Tinubu is not an average politician. You don’t go to fight a lion who also has horns,” he said.

Explaining his analogy, the former governor said an opponent with considerable political strength could easily overwhelm a fragmented opposition.

“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 work towards building a united political force rather than allowing personal interests to undermine their chances.

Duke’s comments come as opposition parties and politicians intensify consultations and realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with several groups exploring possible alliances to challenge the All Progressives Congress and Tinubu.

As a presidential candidate of the PRP, Duke is himself among the opposition figures seeking the presidency in 2027. His call for unity highlights the growing debate over whether Nigeria’s opposition parties can overcome competing interests and establish a common platform capable of mounting a serious challenge to the incumbent.