Donald Duke: Scavengers have had their turn, 2027 is for the common man

Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has blamed the elite for the prevailing situation in the country, saying the time has come for the common man to take over the reins of leadership. Duke spoke in Abuja during the presentation of Certificates of Return and party flags to the PRP candidates […]

Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has blamed the elite for the prevailing situation in the country, saying the time has come for the common man to take over the reins of leadership.

Duke spoke in Abuja during the presentation of Certificates of Return and party flags to the PRP candidates for the 2027 elections.

Duke, while accepting to be PRP presidential flag bearer, lamented that, “Our land has become so desolate that bandits, gangsters and kidnappers collect taxes while the government collects excuses. As reflected in a report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, approximately N2tn was paid as ransom to kidnappers in 2025 alone—an amount equivalent to about 10 per cent of the entire federal budget.

“All this is because our leaders have failed to do what is right when it was right and for whom it was right. At the end of the day, the best politics is, and always will be, doing the right thing—not the expedient thing. And he who does not know what is right has no business leading others.”

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He promised to build a country where “farmers return safely from their fields and where every child has a desk and chair in a decent learning environment.”

While explaining that the elite has had their turn in leadership, Duke said the PRP mission was to empower ordinary Nigerians rather than political elites.

“The scavengers have had their turn. Now it is the turn of the common man—the true Nigerian, market woman, farmer and the unemployed graduate. And I, Donald Duke, seek to be their champion.

“This fight will be tough and bitter, for they will fight back. But we are tougher, more resilient, and our cause is both right and just. If we stood together to win our independence from an empire, together we can redeem Nigeria from these scavengers,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the National Chairman of the party, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, described Duke as the best choice to lead Nigeria and rescue it from the prevailing challenges, adding that “Every one of our candidates is steeped in the values of selfless service with excellence. These men and women who laboured to be our candidates understand the task ahead of them.”

“They know the type of politician who has brought our country to its knees. They know the price we have paid for having leaders who have hijacked our democratic institutions to run us aground. Above all, they know they can stop the rot and turn our country around,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed described the event as the beginning of a mission to restore hope and rebuild Nigeria.

He lamented the state of the nation and stressed the need for leadership that strengthens democratic institutions, tackles poverty and ensures that the country’s vast resources benefit all citizens rather than a privileged few.

According to him, the PRP is determined to inspire Nigerians to reclaim the country through justice, accountability and responsible governance.