As political parties begin to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Chairman of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, is advocating a departure from Nigeria’s long-standing politics of regional balancing and zoning.
Speaking during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed urged Nigerians to place competence, integrity and vision above ethnic, religious and regional considerations when electing leaders.
His position comes in the wake of the emergence of former Cross River Governor, Mr Donald Duke, as the PRP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 polls, a development the party says reflects its commitment to merit rather than geography.
Baba-Ahmed said the PRP consciously rejected the politics of zoning and regional entitlement, insisting that Nigeria’s deepening socio-economic and security challenges demand leaders with the capacity to solve problems.
“As a northerner, I am completely comfortable supporting Donald Duke because he is the best candidate available to us, not because he comes from the South,” he said.
The PRP chairman argued that decades of political calculations built around ethnicity and regional identity had done little to address the country’s pressing issues. Instead, he called on citizens to rethink the criteria by which they choose their leaders.
“We have reached a point where the country should ask who can solve our problems, not where the person comes from.
“The problems confronting Nigerians today are not northern or southern issue. Poverty, insecurity and unemployment affect every part of the country,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed, a prominent northern politician, disclosed that all three aspirants who contested the party’s presidential ticket came from the southern part of the country, noting that no northern aspirant entered the race.
According to him, the eventual selection of Duke followed a transparent electoral process in which party members assessed the qualities and leadership capacity of the contenders before making their choice.
He also criticised what he described as the growing tendency among politicians to exploit ethnic and regional divisions for political advantage, warning that such practices had weakened national unity and shifted attention away from governance and development.
For the PRP, he said, the future of Nigeria lies in building a political culture that rewards merit, performance and accountability rather than identity politics.
Baba-Ahmed maintained that the party would continue to champion issue-based campaigns and encourage Nigerians to assess candidates based on their records, character and ability to deliver good governance.
Expressing confidence in Duke’s candidacy, he said the former governor had the potential to attract support across ethnic, regional and religious lines.
According to him, the country needs leaders who can unite its diverse population around a shared vision of peace, security and prosperity.
