Why I Say Tinubu Is Weak On Governance — Donald Duke

• Former Cross River State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has defended his earlier description of President Bola Tinubu as a formidable politician but weak on governance, saying recent developments within the Federal Government have reinforced his position.

• Duke, in a fresh interview with BBC Pidgin, cited the discovery of alleged fake government agencies as evidence of weaknesses in the machinery of government, questioning how organisations without proper legal backing could operate within or around official government structures without being detected earlier.

• The former governor also criticised some of the administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and prevailing borrowing costs, arguing that government should focus on policies that improve citizens’ productivity and make capital more accessible to businesses and individuals.

• On insecurity, Duke said Nigeria needed to decentralise its security architecture and make security more locally available, arguing that communities should have stronger capacity to respond to kidnapping, banditry and other threats affecting their residents.

September 18, () – Former Cross River State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has explained his earlier assertion that President Bola Tinubu is a formidable politician but weak on governance.

Duke made the clarification in a fresh interview with BBC Pidgin while discussing the state of governance, the economy and insecurity in Nigeria.

The former governor, who is challenging Tinubu and other presidential contenders ahead of the 2027 election, said his assessment was based on what he considers shortcomings in the administration’s management of government institutions and the economy.

His latest comments come against the backdrop of recent controversies over alleged fake government agencies, following investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

In August, the ICPC said it had uncovered another alleged fictitious government office, the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, after an earlier investigation into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PFIPC/PEAC).

The earlier case had triggered questions about how an organisation described by the government as lacking legal backing could operate with the appearance of an official government entity.

President Tinubu had ordered the ICPC to investigate the PFIPC/PEAC controversy and determine the roles of public officers and private individuals who may have facilitated its activities.

The ICPC subsequently recommended prosecution and administrative sanctions against officials whose negligence allegedly enabled the organisation to operate.

Speaking on the issue, Duke questioned how many similar entities could exist without the knowledge of the government.

“When you start having fake agencies, we’ve discovered two. How many are out there that we don’t know? Can’t tell”, he said.

Duke argued that the development raised broader questions about the effectiveness of the government’s administrative machinery.

“That means there’s no substance when it comes to governance in his administration”, he stated.

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‘Tinubu Is A Political Animal’

Asked to explain what he meant when he previously described Tinubu as “weak on governance”, Duke distinguished between the President’s political abilities and his approach to administration.

He maintained that Tinubu had demonstrated considerable political strength but argued that political skill did not necessarily translate into effective governance.

In an earlier interview, Duke had described Tinubu as a “formidable politician” while expressing dissatisfaction with his performance in office. He said his criticism was about governance rather than the President’s political capacity.

Duke said the objective of government should ultimately be to improve the productivity and welfare of citizens.

“If he understands the objective of government, which is to enhance the productivity of citizens, ask yourself what policies have enhanced our productivity”, he added.

He pointed to the difficulty businesses and individuals face in accessing affordable capital, noting that interest rates remain high.

“You can’t get capital available and cheaply or affordable. Interest rates are in the upper 30s”, he said.

Duke also questioned the government’s spending priorities, referring to the acquisition of a new presidential aircraft early in the administration.

“You come into office and literally within the first month you bought a new aircraft. And all those things don’t give the right signals”, he noted.

Duke Rejects ‘Painful But Necessary’ Reform Argument

The PRP presidential candidate was also asked whether he agreed with the Federal Government’s position that the economic hardship Nigerians are experiencing is a consequence of painful but necessary reforms.

Duke disagreed with the argument, saying many of the reforms had failed to sufficiently address what he described as Nigeria’s structural and systemic economic problems.

He particularly challenged the framing of the removal of fuel subsidy.

“Most of the reforms are not addressing the structural, systemic, economic well being of Nigeria. For instance, you come in and say you’re scrapping subsidy,” he said.

Duke argued that Nigerians should understand the ownership structure of the country’s petroleum resources before accepting the conventional description of fuel subsidy.

“There’s nothing like a subsidy. And I want Nigerians to really understand this”, he said.

He argued that because crude oil is extracted from Nigeria’s territory, the resource should fundamentally be regarded as belonging to Nigerians.

“First of all, take it from the point of view that the oil is yours. It’s mined in your soil, so technically it belongs to all of us”, he said.

His position comes amid the continuing debate over the consequences of the Tinubu administration’s fuel subsidy removal, which has contributed to a major restructuring of petroleum pricing and has been cited by the government as necessary to reduce fiscal pressures and redirect public resources.

Duke Proposes Localised Security Architecture

Duke also outlined his approach to tackling kidnapping and banditry if elected President in 2027.

Responding to a question on what he would do during his first year in office to address insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria and its spread to parts of the South, he said the country needed to examine the depth and effectiveness of its existing “security architecture.”

He argued that security, like other essential services, should be available closer to the communities that need it.

“You look at your security architecture. How deep is it? Security is a local thing,” Duke said.

According to him, one principle of governance is that essential services should be locally available.

“One principle of governance is anything that is essential must be locally available. So for instance, water is essential to life, it must be locally available,” he said.

He similarly cited healthcare, arguing that people should not have to travel extremely long distances before accessing basic medical services.

“Healthcare is essential. So you don’t stay in a community and the next hospital is about 100 miles away,” he said.

Duke’s comments add to his growing criticism of the Tinubu administration as the 2027 presidential contest approaches.

The former governor, who served as Cross River State governor from 1999 to 2007, is among the politicians seeking to challenge the incumbent in the next presidential election.

His campaign has increasingly focused on governance, economic productivity, insecurity and the effectiveness of Nigeria’s public institutions.

Duke has also previously criticised the country’s democratic system and the quality of governance since the return to civilian rule in 1999, arguing that successive administrations have failed to resolve fundamental problems such as unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, poor healthcare and insecurity.