The Lagos State Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), James Adeshina, has said the party’s presidential candidate, Donald Duke, can win the 2027 presidential election if he builds a strong grassroots structure and forms a broad-based political coalition.
Adeshina, who spoke 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 provide Nigerians with a credible alternative.
He, however, stressed that Duke’s popularity and public recognition alone would not guarantee victory, urging the candidate to strengthen the party’s 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.
The PRP chairman urged Duke to immediately engage party stakeholders, including state chairmen, local government and ward leaders, to identify areas of cooperation and build a broader political platform.
According to him, the ward remains the foundation of electoral politics in Nigeria, making grassroots mobilisation essential to translating national recognition into electoral support.
“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 called for a coalition involving progressive political parties, civil society organisations, youth groups, professional associations, community leaders and other influential stakeholders.
He said such a coalition should be based on national interest and shared principles rather than individual political ambitions.
He further advised 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,” Adeshina said.
The PRP chairman also urged Duke to unveil a clear economic and development agenda addressing major challenges confronting Nigerians, 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,” he said.
On youth participation, Adeshina urged Duke to place young Nigerians at the centre of his political strategy, saying they should be involved in policy development, digital mobilisation, campaign management and governance planning rather than being used only to fill 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 provide Nigerians with an opportunity to choose leaders based on competence, ideas, accountability and a clear vision for the country.
He urged Duke to position himself as a credible alternative to the established political order while engaging 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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