Former Cross River State Governor and newly nominated presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, says his decision to return to frontline politics was driven by growing concern over Nigeria’s worsening economic and governance challenges, warning that the country risks a deeper crisis if urgent action is not taken.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE News on Wednesday, Duke said he could no longer remain on the sidelines while Nigeria grapples with rising poverty, insecurity and economic decline, stressing that the country’s current trajectory must be reversed within the next four years.
“The direction the country is going requires very urgent intervention. In another four years, if we don’t change the trajectory, disaster—which is already looming—will deepen further,” he said.
Duke blamed Nigeria’s difficulties on a combination of poor leadership, weak governance and an economy that has failed to create opportunities for citizens.
“The economy is broken; it’s not growing. Governance is poor. In the last 20-plus years, there has been very little governance going on—a lot of politics and no governance,” he stated.
Calling for greater unity among opposition parties, the former governor said political parties with a common objective should work together to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative, arguing that personal interests should not stand in the way of national progress.
Reflecting on his tenure in Cross River State, Duke said leadership should be measured by its impact, insisting his administration left the state better than it met it through investments in tourism, infrastructure and economic development.
He added that if elected president, he would assemble a competent team based on merit rather than political loyalty, reform the financial system to encourage productivity, strengthen the judiciary and prioritise critical sectors such as power and healthcare over what he described as non-essential government spending.
Duke also advocated restructuring Nigeria’s governance system and reducing the cost of governance, including reviewing the country’s bicameral legislature, as part of measures to restore economic stability and improve public service delivery.
(The Sun)