The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has substituted Anita Zugwai-Chukwu with Peter Agada as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Agada was formally presented and affirmed as the party’s presidential candidate alongside Ndidi Patience Key, who emerged as his running mate, at the party’s Presidential and Vice-Presidential Substitution/Affirmation Programme.

Zugwai-Chukwu had earlier emerged as the party’s presidential candidate at its congress and subsequently served as the presidential placeholder during an earlier stage of the electoral process.

Speaking at the event, the YPP National Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Amakiri who was represented by the party’s Deputy National Chairperson, Nana Aisha Mahmoud, described the substitution and affirmation as the beginning of a new chapter for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Mahmoud said the party was not merely changing names but reaffirming its commitment to providing Nigerians with what she described as a credible, competent and inclusive political alternative.

She said the country was at a critical crossroads, with citizens demanding opportunities, security, economic stability, infrastructure, quality education, healthcare and accountable leadership.

According to her, the YPP would seek to build a political institution where young Nigerians, women, professionals and communities could participate meaningfully in the democratic process.

She also appealed to members to work together following the emergence of the new presidential ticket, urging the party to avoid divisions between supporters of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

“From this moment, there must be no Presidential camp and Vice-Presidential camp. There must be no old members and new members. There must be no North and South within our campaign family,” she said.

Mahmoud also commended Zugwai-Chukwu for accepting to serve as the party’s presidential placeholder, describing her role as an important contribution to the party’s transition.

She urged the new presidential and vice-presidential candidates to lead with integrity, courage, competence and compassion, while keeping the interests of ordinary Nigerians at the centre of their campaign.

In his acceptance speech, Agada said his emergence was not about his personal ambition but about addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians.

He cited poverty, hunger, insecurity, unemployment and abandoned projects among the problems he said required urgent attention.

“Today is not about me. Today is about 140 million Nigerians that the IMF says are living at or below a national poverty line,” Agada said.

He also referred to the estimated 35 million Nigerians he said would require food assistance during the 2026 lean season and millions of young people entering the labour market without adequate opportunities.

Agada said he accepted the YPP mandate because he believed the party provided a platform where competence, capacity and results could take precedence over other considerations.

“I came because Nigeria is tired and I am tired too. Tired of abandoned projects. Tired of darkness. Tired of hunger. Tired of insecurity,” he said.

The YPP candidate said his administration, if elected, would focus on what he described as “governance with GPS”, promising to address the underlying causes of poverty rather than merely managing its consequences.

He identified security as a major priority, arguing that economic activities, farming, education and infrastructure development could not thrive without safety.

“First of all, security. You cannot farm, you cannot trade, you cannot go to school, you cannot build because you are not safe. We will secure the highways,” he said.

Agada said the party’s platform was based on ideas, ideology and delivery, while pledging to make competence and capacity central to his proposed leadership.