2027: Ex-LP aspirant emerges YPP presidential candidate

Nigeria's Young Progressives Party (YPP) has selected Peter Agada, a former presidential aspirant for the Labour Party, as its new candidate for the 2027 general election. Agada replaces Anita Zugwai-Chukwu, the party's National Women Leader, who had previously been adopted as the sole presidential candidate.

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Today is not about me. Today is about 140 million Nigerians that the IMF says are living at or below the national poverty line.

The substitution was formally affirmed at a primary election in Abuja, where Agada was presented with his running mate, Ndidi Keys. Agada, who joined the YPP in June after being disqualified from the Labour Party's primary, stated that his candidacy is not about personal ambition but about tackling the significant challenges facing Nigerians. He cited the IMF's report on 140 million Nigerians living at or below the national poverty line, alongside issues of food insecurity, internal displacement, and youth unemployment.

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35 million persons are hungry

Agada explained his decision to join the YPP stemmed from a belief in its platform, which he feels prioritizes competence and delivery over political maneuvering. "You said let competence speak. Let capacity lead and let results matter," he told delegates and party leaders.

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A few months ago, some tried to shut the door at this aspiration you see here right now. But you, the delegates of YPP, you opened a bigger door. You said let competence speak. Let capacity lead and let results matter.

He described his proposed governance model as "governance with GPS," focusing on attacking the root causes of poverty rather than merely managing its effects, with security as a central pillar. Agada, who has two decades of experience in public policy, also pointed to his work with the Congress of Nigerian Professionals, which develops policy solutions across various sectors. He claimed his team had previously presented unimplemented security solutions to the government, including a national security infrastructure for monitoring highways and borders, and a proposed military communications network.

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We will not manage poverty. We will attack the very causes of poverty.