ABUJA — The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has picked Dr Peter Agada and Mrs Patience Ndidi-Key as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The candidates emerged during the party’s presidential replacement primary election held on Friday in Abuja following the voluntary withdrawal of its former presidential candidate, Mrs Anita Zugwai-Chukwu.
The National Chairman of the YPP, Mr Bishop Amakiri, represented by the Deputy National Chairman, Hajia Nana Mahamoud, said Zugwai-Chukwu’s withdrawal necessitated the replacement primary.
He also announced Ndidi-Key, a United States-based entrepreneur and healthcare professional, as Agada’s running mate.
Amakiri urged the presidential candidate to uphold the party’s manifesto and deploy his experience towards addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians.
He also called on Agada to remain committed to the party’s principles and provide effective leadership if elected president.
The YPP National Secretary, Mr Vidiyeno Bamaiyi, said the party’s membership had grown to 83,066 nationwide since May and urged state chairmen to intensify mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, stronger grassroots structures would be critical to expanding the party’s reach across the country.
In his acceptance speech, Agada pledged to tackle insecurity and decentralise electricity generation and distribution if elected.
“I will ensure that insecurity is reduced to the barest minimum across the country,” he said.
Agada said decentralising power generation and distribution would help address persistent electricity challenges affecting households, businesses and communities.
He also appealed to Nigerians, particularly young people, not to lose hope in the country, promising to work towards creating better opportunities and improving living conditions.
Meanwhile, YPP presidential aspirant and member of the party’s Board of Trustees, Julius Filani, announced his withdrawal from the replacement presidential primary, saying the decision was taken in the interest of party unity and stability.
Filani said the logistical demands of conducting a nationwide direct primary across 8,809 wards and 774 local government areas informed his decision to step aside.
“This historic, strategic decision is born out of profound respect for the party’s institutional growth, systemic stability, and the immense logistical realities of the current political landscape,” he said.
“Leadership is never about a position, a seat, or a title. True leadership is defined by the willingness to make personal sacrifices for the greater good of the collective.”
Filani stressed that his withdrawal did not amount to an exit from politics or the YPP but was a deliberate decision to place the party’s collective interest above his presidential ambition.
“I have chosen to step aside because the survival and success of the party’s vision must outweigh individual aspirations,” he said.
He pledged to continue supporting the party’s leadership, structures and eventual presidential candidate while sustaining his humanitarian and grassroots empowerment activities.
“This transition does not signal a retreat, but rather a strategic reallocation of energy,” Filani added.
He expressed confidence that the party would emerge stronger from the process and urged members and stakeholders to remain united ahead of the general elections.
