National Chairman of the People's Redemption Party (PRP), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has called on Nigerians to move beyond regional and ethnic considerations in electing leaders, urging voters to prioritise competence, integrity and vision ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Baba-Ahmed made the appeal on Tuesday during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja.

The PRP chairman spoke against the backdrop of the emergence of former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

According to him, the party deliberately rejected zoning politics and regional entitlement in selecting its flagbearer, insisting that Nigeria’s challenges require capable leadership rather than candidates chosen based on geographical origins.

“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,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He urged Nigerians to draw lessons from past elections and abandon the practice of making leadership choices based on ethnic, religious or regional sentiments.

“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 issues. Poverty, insecurity and unemployment affect every part of the country,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed disclosed that all three aspirants who contested the PRP presidential ticket were from the southern region of the country, noting that no northern candidate entered the race.

He explained that party members elected Duke through what he described as a transparent process because they believed he possessed the leadership qualities required to govern the country effectively.

The PRP chairman also criticised what he described as the growing tendency among politicians to exploit ethnic and regional divisions for political gain, warning that such practices undermine national unity and divert attention from governance.

He stressed that Nigeria’s future depends on embracing merit-based leadership and building a political culture that rewards competence, performance and accountability.

Baba-Ahmed reaffirmed the party’s commitment to issue-based politics, saying the PRP would continue to encourage Nigerians to assess candidates based on their track records, character and capacity to deliver good governance.

He expressed confidence that Duke’s candidacy would resonate with voters across ethnic, regional and religious lines, adding that the country needs leaders capable of uniting citizens around a common vision of peace, security and prosperity.