The 2027 presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has described governance under President Bola Tinubu as a major weakness since the inception of the administration.
Duke, however, acknowledged Tinubu’s political strength, describing him as a “formidable politician” with the conviction and determination to pursue his political objectives.
The former Cross River State governor made the remarks on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to Duke, while Tinubu has demonstrated considerable political ability, his performance in governance over the past three years has been disappointing.
“Give it to President Bola Tinubu. He’s a formidable politician. My issue with him is governance, not politics,” Duke said.
He argued that the country was currently facing a serious crisis, warning that the situation could worsen if the government continued along its present trajectory.
“From what we have seen in the last three years, he’s very weak on governance. We’re in a disaster. It’s repairable, but not with the trajectory he’s going,” he added.
Duke, who governed Cross River State between 1999 and 2007, the same period Tinubu governed Lagos State, said he could only reconsider his position if the President acknowledged his mistakes and changed course.
“If Tinubu comes back like a born-again and says he’s made a mistake, maybe we can consider it, but this trajectory, no,” he stated.
The PRP candidate also described Tinubu as a “stubborn politician,” saying the President appeared firmly convinced about the direction of his administration.
“He believes in what he’s doing. That’s his conviction. If we continue this way, where year after year poverty increases, I’m not sure it would be fine,” Duke said.
Meanwhile, Duke has declared his willingness to withdraw his presidential ambition if the ongoing opposition coalition produces another candidate considered better positioned to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Asked whether he would step aside for another opposition presidential candidate, Duke responded in the affirmative.
“Absolutely,” he said, stressing that the overriding consideration should be the emergence of the candidate best suited to achieve the opposition’s shared objective.
Duke likened the process to a football match, arguing that although thousands of spectators may have different opinions about how a game should be played, only those on the pitch ultimately determine its outcome.
He said he wanted to remain part of the political contest because he believed his voice could provide a measure of reason and balance within the opposition movement.
“I want to be in that because I think you need some voice of reason amongst a lot of them,” Duke said.
His comments come amid continuing efforts by opposition politicians and political groups to build a common platform ahead of the 2027 presidential election with a plan to present a consensus candidate to contest against Tinubu.
The PRP flag-bearer had earlier warned the opposition that President Tinubu was not an average politician they can defeat separately.
“The only way you can seriously tackle the incumbent is to come together and have a voice; otherwise we will be factionalised. So when you talk of rigging, I think we are rigging it against ourselves, and because of our ego, we need to come together.
“Bola Tinubu is not an average politician. You don’t go to fight a lion who also has horns. Can you imagine a lion with horns? It is already a dangerous animal. Then you now give it horns, and you say go and fight it with a knife and fork. You will be the dinner,” he said.
