The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2027 general election, Donald Duke, has warned opposition parties against contesting the election separately. .
Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, said defeating President Bola Tinubu would require the opposition to overcome personal ambitions and unite behind a common political strategy.
Speaking in an interview with Symfoni TV, the former governor argued that the incumbent president naturally enjoys institutional advantages that opposition candidates cannot ignore.
He said the influence of the presidency over key state institutions makes it unrealistic for opposition parties to assume they can individually match the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Duke said, “We can’t compare ourselves to China; even if the APC did nothing, they are the party in power. If there is a problem on that day, the IG of Police will not go to any of the candidates, but to the president, so everything is in favour of the incumbent; respect that.
“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.”
Using a metaphor to underscore his assessment of Tinubu’s political strength, Duke said the opposition should not underestimate the president ahead of the 2027 contest.
“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.
Duke, who governed Cross River between 1999 and 2007, also outlined what he described as his approach to governance, stressing that competence, integrity and capacity should take precedence over political loyalty.
He said electoral victory should signal the end of political calculations and the beginning of governance, arguing that elected leaders should appoint capable Nigerians to critical positions regardless of their role during the campaign.
“Politics ends after the election. Governance begins with assembling the best hands to move the country forward,” he said.
According to him, campaign loyalists should not automatically be rewarded with government positions at the expense of competence.
“It’s not those who rallied around you during the campaign that should determine the quality of governance. Politics is over; governance is about getting the best team,” he added.
The PRP candidate said every government appointee should be driven by the responsibility to improve the country, rather than advance personal or partisan interests.
“Every appointee must have one creed: leave the country better than you met it,” Duke said.
He further argued that Nigeria’s economic difficulties and weak institutions required leadership capable of placing national interest above party considerations.
Duke called for broad economic reforms, including a restructuring of the country’s financial system to lower borrowing costs, encourage productive investment and strengthen the private sector.
He also criticised high interest rates and rising public debt, while questioning government expenditure priorities.
The former governor advocated greater investment in electricity, agriculture, healthcare, education and the judiciary, describing the sectors as critical to improving productivity, expanding economic opportunities and strengthening public confidence.
He also called for reforms in revenue generation, energy policy and the justice system.
Duke maintained that Nigeria has the human and natural resources required to achieve rapid development, but said this would depend on disciplined leadership, accountability, competence and a sustained commitment to the national interest.
