Former Cross River State Governor and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Donald Duke, has warned Nigerians that the country is in too serious a situation to experiment with leadership in 2027.
Duke said Nigeria is facing serious economic and security problems and, because of this, voters should carefully examine the experience, capacity and record of anyone seeking to become president.
Speaking ahead of the 2027 general election, the former governor said Nigeria should not be used to “test” whether a new leader can handle the responsibilities of governing the country.
According to him, presidential candidates should be properly questioned about what they have done in the past, what they can do and what they intend to do differently if given the opportunity to lead Nigeria.
Duke described the current situation in the country as very serious but said Nigeria can still be repaired if the country changes its direction.
He also pointed to his time as governor of Cross River State between 1999 and 2007, saying his administration tried to build the state's economy around areas where Cross River had natural advantages, especially agriculture and tourism.
The former governor said government should not only be about supervising people but should create an environment where citizens can work, produce and improve their lives.
He explained that money spent on education, healthcare and infrastructure should ultimately help make citizens more productive and improve their standard of living.
Duke also spoke about the Tinapa project, which was one of the major projects associated with his administration in Cross River. He said the project was successful when it was commissioned shortly before he left office, adding that questions about what happened to it afterwards should be directed to those who took over the government.
On the 2027 opposition politics, Duke said the focus should not simply be on removing the present government and replacing it with another person.
He said opposition groups must first agree on where they want to take Nigeria before deciding who among them is best suited to lead.
For Duke, the important questions are what Nigeria should look like in the coming years, what the opposition wants to achieve and who has the capacity to carry out that plan.
The PRP presidential candidate also criticised the current administration's handling of governance, saying his concern was not President Bola Tinubu's political strength but what he described as problems with governance, including worsening poverty and insecurity.
Duke's comments come as political activities continue to build ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with different parties and political groups already positioning themselves for the contest.
His message to Nigerians is that the coming election should be taken seriously and that candidates should be examined based on their experience, capacity, records and plans for the country.
The 2027 presidential race will feature Duke among the candidates cleared for the election, according to the published list of presidential candidates.
For Nigerians, the debate is now moving beyond who wants the presidency to the bigger question of what each candidate plans to do with the opportunity if elected.
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