The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party in the upcoming 2027 elections, Donald Duke, has raised the alarm over the state of the nation, calling for an urgent intervention.
The former Cross River State governor, who stayed in office from 1999 to 2007, noted that if the nation’s trajectory isn’t attended to in the next four years, it could be plunged into further crisis.
He made the call in an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, as he lamented the country’s slow economic growth, collapsed security architecture and poor governance.
He stated that the country’s current direction requires immediate intervention and warned that if the trajectory is not changed within the next four years, the already looming disaster will deepen significantly.
The PRP presidential candidate added that the nation’s issues stem from a combination of factors, primarily a broken and stagnant economy. He explained that various security threats like Boko Haram, ISWAP, banditry, and kidnapping are merely symptoms of this inadequacy, further emphasizing that the last two decades have been characterized by excessive politics and severely lacking governance.
He recalled the scandal on the alleged establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council involving the council’s purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
He pointed out that the recent scandal, involving the setup of an unofficial office within the Federal Secretariat, is a glaring indicator of poor governance stemming from failed leadership. He also wondered how any economic growth could be achieved when interest rates remain in the upper 30s.
Duke revealed that his decision to run for the presidency stems from concern over the country’s direction, saying that the clear and apparent urgency of the nation’s current situation motivated him to get actively involved rather than remaining a mere spectator offering analysis.
The PRP presidential candidate expressed concern over the proliferation of political parties in Nigeria, calling on them to unite to chart a new course for the country.
He urged the splintered opposition to come together, noting that stable Western democracies typically rely on two major parties. Acknowledging the egos currently at play within the opposition, he expressed his desire to act as a voice of reason to help unify them, as the country is currently in a difficult position and needs a collective decision on its future direction.
Duke hinted further that to govern a country like Nigeria, one needs to have competent and effective hands on his team for productivity, as he noted the stark difference between politics and governance.
While reflecting on his political record as a former governor, Duke said that his past record demonstrates his intention to leave a place better than he found it. He stressed that governing a highly diverse nation like Nigeria requires seeking out the best talent and strictly separating politics from governance. He concluded that his goal in aspiring to leadership is to assemble a highly capable team dedicated to national progress, rather than rewarding mediocre performers simply for their political loyalty during a campaign.
