2027: PRP aspirant warns against campaign insults, hints at ‘dark horse’ entrant

From Godwin Tsa, Abujac

Kingsley, who is challenging the outcome of the PRP presidential primary in court, made the call as political parties intensify campaigns following the lifting of the campaign ban by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He also raised the possibility of an unexpected “dark horse” emerging in the 2027 presidential race, although he did not identify the possible entrant.

In a statement yesterday, Kingsley said candidates should build their campaigns around policies, issues, peace and mutual respect rather than attacks on political opponents.

He said the country’s security challenges should also not be used to stigmatise ethnic or religious groups, insisting that criminality should be treated as an individual or organised criminal act rather than attributed to an entire community.

“Crime has no religion. Criminality has no ethnicity,” he said.

Kingsley said banditry, kidnapping and terrorism should be confronted through intelligence, effective security operations and accountable governance, rather than narratives capable of further polarising the country.

He also advocated the deployment of artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven systems to modernise public administration and improve governance.

According to him, technology-driven governance could help address inefficiencies in Nigeria’s public institutions and make government services more responsive to citizens.

He linked the proposal to his YMK Nigeria Project, which he said was rooted in the working-class orientation and grassroots philosophy of the PRP.

Kingsley’s political future, however, remains tied to his legal challenge to the party’s presidential primary.

He lost the May 25 PRP primary to former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, and is awaiting a Federal High Court ruling scheduled for November 2 in the case challenging the outcome.

Against that backdrop, his reference to a possible “dark horse” has fuelled speculation about whether he was alluding to a potential change in the PRP presidential ticket or an entirely new political development.

Without naming any individual, Kingsley said an unexpected entrant could still emerge in the 2027 contest, suggesting that the final shape of the presidential race may not necessarily conform to current political assumptions.

He invoked divine providence, saying political outcomes should not be determined solely by “established assumptions or human calculations.”

Kingsley urged political parties and candidates to use the campaign season to offer Nigerians credible alternatives and practical solutions rather than inflame existing social and political divisions.