2027: Peter Agada Emerges YPP Presidential Candidate

Architect Peter Agada has emerged as the presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) for the 2027 general elections.

Agada was declared the winner of the party’s substitution presidential primary in Abuja, after securing 71 votes out of the 83 votes cast, while 12 delegates voted against his candidature.

Declaring the result, the returning officer for the substitution primary and the party’s National Secretary, Barrister Vidiyeno H. Bamaiyi, said Agada was duly nominated as the YPP presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

In his acceptance speech, Agada said his emergence was not about him personally but about millions of Nigerians grappling with poverty, food insecurity, displacement, unemployment and insecurity.

He cited the growing number of Nigerians living at or below the poverty line, those requiring food assistance during the 2026 lean season, internally displaced persons and young Nigerians entering the labour market without adequate opportunities.

Agada said he accepted the mandate because, according to him, Nigerians were tired of abandoned projects, inadequate electricity, hunger, insecurity and a political system that prioritised political considerations over competence and performance.

He described the YPP as a party of ideas, ideology and delivery, saying its platform provided an opportunity for competence and capacity to take centre stage in national leadership.

Unveiling his campaign agenda, Agada said his commitment to Nigeria was centred on what he called “governance with GPS,” stressing that his administration would focus on addressing the root causes of poverty rather than merely managing its effects.

He identified insecurity as one of the major obstacles to economic development, noting that Nigerians could not farm, trade, attend school or build businesses effectively when they were not safe.

The YPP candidate also highlighted his experience in policy development, saying he had spent about two decades working on policies and solutions across various sectors through the Congress of Nigerian Professionals.

According to him, his experience showed that one of Nigeria’s major challenges was not the absence of good policies but the failure to translate policies and ideas into implementable projects.

He said his campaign document was therefore designed around practical solutions for turning policies into projects and ensuring their implementation.

On security, Agada said he had previously been involved in developing proposals for a national security infrastructure designed to improve surveillance of highways, borders and grazing routes, as well as coordination among the armed forces and intelligence agencies.

He said his proposed security architecture would enable relevant agencies to share intelligence and coordinate operations more effectively.

Agada further criticised political promises that were not backed by clear implementation strategies, arguing that the major difference between an idea and a workable solution was the structure for delivering it.

Using architecture as an analogy, he said designing a beautiful building was not enough without a sound structure to support it, stressing that his political platform would focus on providing the “how” for implementing policies.

He also pledged to transform Nigeria from a largely agricultural economy into a productive, food-producing nation capable of feeding its population and exporting agricultural products.

Agada said his administration would place young Nigerians at the centre of national development, arguing that young people had been excluded from the mainstream of wealth creation and access to funding.

On electricity, he advocated decentralised power generation, arguing that Nigeria should reduce its dependence on the national grid, which he said was vulnerable to disruptions, vandalism and system failures.

He compared the proposed decentralisation of electricity to the development of borehole systems, which he said had helped address water supply challenges in many communities.

The presidential candidate said his administration would pursue a broad restructuring of governance, security and development systems, with emphasis on practical implementation, technological innovation and greater opportunities for young Nigerians.

Agada urged Nigerians, particularly the youth, to support a new political direction, declaring that the time had come for young people to take a more active role in determining the country’s future.