PRP issues Certificates of Return to Duke, vows to reclaim Nigeria’s future

Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) on Wednesday issued certificates of return to its presidential candidate, Donald Duke, alongside others who triumphed at the party’s recently-held primaries.

 

Speaking at the occasion in Abuja, the party’s National Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the development marked a pivotal milestone for the party, as it positioned itself as the ultimate ideological alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

While congratulating the candidates, Baba-Ahmed reminded them that they were ambassadors of the country.

 

He drew a sharp line between what he called the transparent internal processes of PRP and the chaotic primary elections often witnessed in rival mainstream political parties.

 

“PRP has just placed itself at the heart of a fundamental imperative: to inspire in Nigerians the confidence and determination to retrieve our country from leaders who have successfully turned our dreams into nightmares,” he said.

 

According to him, a political party cannot lack justice internally and magically provide it to the broader Nigerian populace.

 

“Today, we serve notice to fellow Nigerian citizens that the journey to a different, happier future is not an illusion,” he said.

 

While introducing Duke, the party’s presidential candidate and former Cross River Governor, the national chairman praised his intelligence, vision, integrity and an uncompromising commitment to the public good.

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He said that Duke’s political career served as a blueprint for how power should be exercised and relinquished in a healthy democracy.

 

“He stands as a testament to the fact that not all Nigerian leaders seek public office for personal gains; that leaders can serve and move on to pursue other challenges in life; that Nigeria is worth serving in every capacity.

 

“He stands tall as a thoroughbred Nigerian whose life has been shaped by all the strands of our rich, abundant nation,” Baba-Ahmed said

 

In his acceptance speech, Duke described his candidature as a rescue mission for ‘a nation fighting itself to the detriment of its citizens’.

 

He stated that the primary function of government had been fundamentally perverted by a ruling elite that viewed power merely as a tool for self-enrichment.

 

“Truth is, we have lost focus; political gangsters and highwaymen have made siege and appropriated the land and rendered it barren.

 

“Then they weaponised the resulting poverty they brought forth, and every four years, they come back to renew their so-called mandate of reaping the province’s fortune upon our already weary shoulders.

 

“This time, it shall be the people’s bandit, not theirs.” Duke said.

 

He expressed concerns over the country’s current security challenges, saying that the basic sovereignty of the Nigerian state was being systematically eroded.

 

The presidential candidate also noted that the agricultural sector had been devastated, as empty farms and fields had left food scarce and largely unaffordable for the masses.

 

To remedy the situation, he proposed a fundamental philosophical shift in how public governance was understood and being carried out in Nigeria.

 

He noted that human capital development and infrastructural expansion were not merely welfare programmes, but essential economic drivers that required a stable framework to thrive.

 

On human capital development, Duke proposed a radical restructuring of the educational and healthcare sectors.

 

He advocated for a completely free and compulsory educational model through secondary school, featuring a curriculum redesigned to ensure that Nigerian graduates were globally competitive.

 

“Education must be free and compulsory up to the senior secondary level, with a curriculum that includes skill acquisition and global relevance.

 

“We should systemise health insurance such that every citizen is covered. For life is a right and therefore, health care cannot be a privilege,” he stated.

 

In redefining macro-economic success, the former governor argued that government must stop using superficial financial indicators to measure progress.

 

He promised that a PRP administration would prioritise the domestic labour market, agricultural stability and accessible credit for local entrepreneurs over foreign financial metrics.

 

“Everything we do must be geared toward creating jobs and enhancing productivity, and this must be done in all sectors.” Duke added.

 

(NAN)