Why I Want To Be Nigeria’s President — Donald Duke

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, Donald Duke, has explained that his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election is driven by his desire to address Nigeria’s leadership challenges and improve the country’s economic and political development.

Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, made the remarks while speaking with journalists in Abuja. He said Nigeria had struggled with effective leadership since the return to democratic rule, arguing that successive administrations had failed to provide a clear vision capable of transforming the country.

According to him, Nigeria has had several governments since the restoration of democracy, but the country has yet to experience the kind of purposeful leadership needed to address its political and economic problems.

Duke said his presidential ambition was therefore based on his belief that he could provide a different form of leadership and offer practical solutions to the challenges facing Nigerians. He also called on political actors to focus their campaigns on what they intend to do for the country rather than engaging in personal attacks and political mudslinging.

The PRP candidate criticised the approach of previous administrations, saying many leaders assumed office without a clearly defined plan for governing the country. He argued that the absence of a well-articulated national vision had contributed to repeated failures in governance.

Duke also spoke about the chances of the opposition in the 2027 election, saying the incumbent All Progressives Congress could be defeated if opposition parties were prepared to work together.

He said opposition parties would need to agree on the most suitable candidate and form a united political platform if they wanted to mount a serious challenge to President Bola Tinubu and the APC.

The former governor noted that the APC remained politically strong because of its control of several states, but argued that the party could still lose the presidential election if opposition groups united around a common objective.

Duke also shared his position on several national issues, including fuel subsidy, state police, student loans and economic management.

On fuel subsidy, he supported the idea of government continuing to subsidise petroleum products, arguing that Nigeria should use its available resources to reduce the burden of fuel costs on citizens rather than expose them to international prices.

He also backed the establishment of state police, saying the system was needed to strengthen security at the local level, particularly as poverty and unemployment continue to contribute to crime.

On student loans, Duke described the policy as a positive idea but said it would have limited impact if graduates were unable to secure jobs after completing their education.

He argued that any student loan programme should be accompanied by policies designed to create employment and provide young Nigerians with the income needed to repay their loans.

Duke further criticised the relationship between government revenue and expenditure, saying Nigeria needed to manage its resources more effectively.

He proposed better coordination between monetary and fiscal policies as part of efforts to increase wealth creation, reduce poverty and improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to ensure greater financial independence for local governments if elected president in 2027.

Atiku said his administration would ensure that funds meant for local government councils are paid directly to them after he assumes office.

The former Vice President made the pledge in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo. He said his administration would respect the rule of law and protect the constitutional independence of the three tiers of government.

Atiku referred to the Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy delivered in July 2024, accusing the Tinubu administration of failing to fully implement the decision.

He alleged that the Federal Government had avoided taking steps that could lead to a confrontation with state governors who had traditionally exercised control over local government finances.

According to Atiku, allowing councils to directly access their statutory allocations would improve development at the grassroots and strengthen their ability to address poverty and insecurity.

He also said financial autonomy would enable local governments to provide services more effectively and improve their capacity to tackle crimes and terrorism within their areas.

The ADC candidate further alleged that political considerations ahead of the 2027 election had influenced the handling of local government finances, claiming that governors were being allowed to retain control over council funds in exchange for political support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Both Duke and Atiku have now placed governance reform, economic development, security and political restructuring among the issues shaping their campaigns ahead of the 2027 presidential election.