The 2027 presidential race is beginning to bring the political history of Cross River State back into the national conversation, with former Governor Donald Etim Duke once again at the centre of attention.
A new opinion article published by TheCable has asked a question that is likely to generate fresh debate across Cross River and beyond: Is Donald Duke too good to lead Nigeria?
The article, published on Friday, August 7, 2026, presents Duke as a politician whose record in Cross River State deserves another look as Nigerians prepare for the 2027 presidential election.
Duke, who governed Cross River from 1999 to 2007, is currently the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 election. His emergence as the PRP candidate was confirmed by the party’s National Working Committee in June after a review of the party’s presidential primary.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝
According to the writer, one of the strongest arguments in Duke’s favour is what he achieved in Cross River during his eight years as governor.
The article describes Calabar under Duke as a city that experienced a major transformation, particularly in cleanliness, tourism, entertainment and general urban development.
The writer recalls that Duke introduced a culture of cleanliness and order in Calabar and helped reposition the city as a major tourism destination.
One of the projects highlighted is the redevelopment of the Obudu Cattle Ranch, which Duke's administration sought to transform into a modern, world-class tourist attraction.
The article also points to the creation and development of the Calabar Carnival as one of the major ideas associated with Duke's administration.
The carnival, designed around Cross River's cultural identity while drawing inspiration from Caribbean-style celebrations, eventually became one of the state's biggest tourism attractions.
For Cross River people, these are not simply political claims. The Calabar Carnival, tourism development and the emphasis on keeping Calabar clean remain some of the most remembered features of the Duke administration.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧
The renewed attention comes at a time when Duke has returned to the presidential contest.
The former governor previously contested Nigeria's presidency in 2019 under the Social Democratic Party.
In 2026, he joined the PRP and secured its presidential ticket for the 2027 election.
TheCable article argues that Duke's political appeal goes beyond his previous administration in Cross River.
The writer describes him as knowledgeable, intelligent, articulate and capable of understanding Nigeria's major problems and proposing solutions.
The writer also says Duke's recent television interview influenced the decision to write the article.
According to the opinion piece, Duke appears willing to put his personal presidential ambition aside if doing so would help opposition parties form a stronger alliance against the ruling party.
The article says Duke has indicated that his ambition is not a "do-or-die affair" and that he could support a compromise among opposition forces if it would produce a stronger candidate capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦
Despite the strong praise for Duke, the article does not ignore the major difficulty facing his presidential ambition.
The writer admits that Duke may not currently have the nationwide political structure and voter spread enjoyed by some of the bigger names in the opposition.
That is perhaps one of the biggest questions surrounding the former Cross River governor.
Having a record that attracts praise is one thing. Building a political structure capable of winning a presidential election across Nigeria is another.
The article therefore argues that Duke's best opportunity may come through a coalition involving different opposition parties and political groups.
But getting major presidential contenders and their political structures to surrender their ambitions and rally around another candidate would be a difficult task.
𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞, 𝐎𝐛𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐭𝐢𝐤𝐮
The writer also compares Duke with other major opposition figures expected to play important roles in the 2027 election.
Peter Obi is described as a politician whose message continues to connect strongly with ordinary Nigerians, particularly young people and those frustrated by the country's economic difficulties.
Atiku Abubakar, on the other hand, is presented as a politician with strong political influence, particularly in northern Nigeria.
But the writer argues that Duke's message is more balanced and could gain significant attention if he becomes part of a strong opposition coalition.
The writer goes as far as saying that, if given a level playing field, Duke would be his preferred candidate among the major contenders.
However, the article makes clear that this is the personal opinion of its writer and not the official position of TheCable.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫
For Cross River State, the renewed discussion about Duke is significant.
The state has produced a number of politicians who have played national roles, but Duke remains one of the few former governors whose administration became strongly associated with tourism, urban development and the international branding of Calabar.
His return to the presidential race therefore gives Cross River another opportunity to place its political history and development experience at the centre of the national conversation.
It also raises an important question for Cross River people: Can the leadership ideas that transformed Calabar be successfully applied to a country as large and complicated as Nigeria?
That is ultimately the question Duke must answer during the 2027 campaign.
His supporters can point to the Calabar Carnival, tourism development, cleanliness and the transformation of Obudu as evidence of what he achieved.
His opponents, meanwhile, are likely to argue that running Cross River State and running Nigeria are two very different challenges.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝
Duke's biggest challenge may therefore not be whether he is intelligent or experienced enough to govern.
It may be whether he can build the political coalition, nationwide structure and voter support required to win a Nigerian presidential election.
TheCable's article acknowledges this difficulty, arguing that Duke's route to Aso Rock could depend heavily on the ability of opposition forces to put aside their individual ambitions and unite around a common platform.
For now, Duke has secured the PRP ticket and is officially part of the 2027 presidential contest.
The question that remains is whether his political history in Cross River, his ideas for Nigeria and the possibility of an opposition coalition will be enough to move him from being a highly regarded former governor to the occupant of Nigeria's highest political office.
For Cross River, however, one thing is already clear: Donald Duke's name is once again back in the national presidential conversation.
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