Duke slams opposition parties backing Tinubu’s re-election bid

Duke, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has raised concerns over opposition parties endorsing President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid for 2027, comparing them to the political parties that backed the late military dictator General Sani Abacha. Speaking to ARISE News, Duke invoked the infamous "five leprous fingers" metaphor, referencing the five state-sanctioned political parties that supported Abacha in the late 1990s.

Duke noted that with one party dropping out, only four remain leprous, a reference to the weakened political environment. The APC recently unveiled its Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, where they successfully enlisted key opposition figures to back Tinubu's bid for a second term. Among these are the FCT Minister and PDP member, who pledged Rivers State and Abuja for Tinubu, the Osun State Governor from the Accord Party, who cautioned that four years were insufficient to fully realize Tinubu's economic reforms, and the Anambra State Governor from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, who formally endorsed the president's party.

These endorsements have sparked concerns over opposition disunity, which could lead to a fragmented front against the ruling party, mirroring the situation that favored Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election when divided opposition votes facilitated his victory.