Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke,has said he is willing to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if opposition parties agree on a consensus candidate.

The former Cross River State governor made the disclosure on Monday during an interview with Channels Television.

Duke said opposition parties should put their shared objective ahead of individual ambitions and support whoever is best positioned to achieve it.

Asked whether he would step aside for another presidential candidate, Duke said: “Absolutely.”

Using a football match as an analogy, he said while many people could have opinions about how a game should be played, the outcome would ultimately be determined by those on the field.

“I want to be in that because I think you need some voice of reason amongst a lot of them,” he said.

Duke warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could win re-election if opposition parties fail to unite ahead of the 2027 election.

“Absolutely, with the chequered opposition it won’t work; Tinubu might win,” he said.

He urged opposition parties to prepare for possible challenges on election day and develop strategies to protect their votes instead of raising complaints after results are announced.

According to him, a united opposition would be crucial to avoiding a repeat of previous electoral experiences.

While acknowledging Tinubu’s political strength, Duke criticised his performance in government.

“Give it to him, he is a formidable politician, my issue with him is governance not politics. He is weak on governance, from what we have seen over the last three years he is very weak on governance,” Duke said.

He argued that Tinubu does not deserve another term, warning that worsening poverty could push the country further in the wrong direction.

Duke also pledged to establish a better governance structure if elected president in 2027.

The opposition field currently includes former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside other contenders.

However, whether the opposition parties will reach an agreement on a single candidate to challenge Tinubu remains uncertain.