Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate and former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, has said all presidential aspirants seeking to govern Nigeria in 2027 must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny on their experience, capacity, track record and plans for the country.
Duke warned that the worsening economic and security challenges confronting Nigeria had left the country with no room for experimental leadership.
The former governor, who spoke on the 2027 presidential contest, said Nigerians should carefully interrogate the competence and records of those seeking to occupy public offices before entrusting them with the responsibility of governing the country.
“I don’t think we should be testing. We’re in such dire states right now,” Duke said.
“We should actually grill whoever wants to take any responsible position in the public space today.”
Duke, who governed Cross River State from 1999 to 2007, said although Nigeria was already facing a serious crisis, the situation could still be reversed with a change in direction.
“We’re already in a disaster. This is a disaster. But it’s repairable,” he said.
He argued that the experience of his administration in Cross River demonstrated that governments could deliberately create economic opportunities by identifying and developing the comparative advantages of their respective states.
According to him, his administration focused on areas such as agriculture and tourism, where Cross River had significant potential.
“We wanted to prove that every federating unit in this country could also be an economic unit,” he said.
Duke said his administration pursued tourism as one of the sectors capable of generating economic activity, despite doubts about its viability at the time.
“We took our strengths, right? Agriculture, we have incredible land mass.
“But beyond that, we took a low-hanging fruit like tourism, which everyone thought wouldn’t work. And it worked spectacularly.
“It can be done. That can-do spirit has been proven before.”
The former governor said the fundamental responsibility of government should be to create an environment where citizens could become productive while living in a safe and orderly society.
“The main essence, the main function of government is the optimal productivity of our citizens within a safe and orderly environment,” he said.
“I think that’s what the government is all about. Not just for people to administer or supervise over people, but to ensure that they are productive within a safe and orderly environment.”
Duke said government investments in education, healthcare and infrastructure should ultimately translate into greater productivity and improved living standards for Nigerians.
“That’s why we send kids to school. That’s why we send them to hospitals. We build infrastructure. All towards the productivity of our citizens,” he said.
“That is the mission statement of the government. It changes the way we see the dynamics of government.”
On the current administration, Duke acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s political experience and described him as a formidable politician, but said his concerns were centred on governance.
“He’s a formidable politician. My issue with him is governance, not politics,” Duke said.
“He’s been a senator, he’s been a two-time governor. Give it to him. He’s a formidable politician.
“My issue with him is governance, not politics.”
Duke expressed concern over what he described as worsening poverty and insecurity in parts of the country, warning that the consequences were spreading beyond areas that had traditionally been affected by insecurity.
“If we continue this way, where year after year poverty increases, statistically, not our statistics, international statistics, year after year we’re getting poorer, year after year our security is impaired,” he said.
“I mean, look at what’s going on in the North. And it’s creeping southwards.”
He said government must address regional disparities in poverty and development and reverse the trend.
“There are sections of the country that are getting poorer faster than other sections of the country. You’ve got to mitigate that,” he said.
“And he’s not taking us in that direction.”
Duke, however, rejected the suggestion that his criticism of the President meant he considered himself personally superior to Tinubu.
“No. I didn’t say I’m better. I didn’t say I’m better,” he said.
“I’ll put in place a better governance structure than Bola Tinubu. That’s my conviction.”
On the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections, Duke warned that the alliance should not be reduced to an arrangement aimed solely at defeating the incumbent.
He said opposition parties and political actors must first agree on a common vision for Nigeria before deciding who should emerge as their candidate.
“But we also have to have sincerity of purpose. It’s not just to remove one and put another face,” he said.
“The first thing is getting a commonality in objectives. Where do we want to take Nigeria to? Where do we think Nigeria ought to be at this time?
“Who best amongst the coalition partners can articulate that vision?”
Duke warned that simply bringing together politicians united by opposition to the incumbent government, without developing a clear alternative programme, would amount to shortchanging Nigerians.
“It shouldn’t be seen as a bunch of people trying to unseat a government or impose someone else. No, that would be wrong. And that would be shortchanging Nigerians.
“We must agree on where we ought to take Nigeria to and find a fitting vehicle to take us there.”
He said the question of who should lead the coalition should therefore come after agreement on its objectives and policy direction.
“First of all, once we have a commonality and objective, the next question is who is best suited for this?” he said.
Duke’s position comes as political parties and aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with the opposition seeking to develop a platform capable of challenging the incumbent administration.
For him, however, the urgency of Nigeria’s current challenges makes competence, experience, capacity and demonstrable records more important than political calculations.
“I don’t think we should be testing. We’re in such dire states right now,” he reiterated.
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