Former Governor of Cross River State and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, Donald Duke, has warned that Nigeria is heading toward a dangerous path requiring urgent intervention, saying the country could face disaster within four years if its current trajectory is not reversed.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Duke argued that worsening economic, governance and leadership challenges have combined to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and instability, calling for a united opposition to offer Nigerians a credible alternative. “The direction the country is going, I think, requires urgent, very urgent intervention,” he said. “Another four years, if we don’t change the trajectory, I see disaster already looming. It will deepen further.” He said the opposition must set aside personal ambition and unite in the national interest. “We have a splintered opposition with a common goal. It doesn’t work that way, so I want to be the voice of reason, because eventually I think we all have to come together to decide where this country would go,” he said.
Duke described Nigeria’s problems as multifaceted, arguing that weak economic growth, poor governance and ineffective leadership have reinforced one another over the years. “A combination of all. The economy is broken, it’s not growing,” he said, adding that insecurity across the country is merely a symptom of deeper economic failure. “We have not grown the economy. Governance is poor. In the last close to 20 years, there’s been very little governance going on, more politics than governance,” he said, questioning how businesses could thrive under prevailing lending conditions and maintaining that government exists primarily to create an environment where citizens can be productive and secure. “The focal point of governance is to ensure that the citizens are optimally productive within a safe and orderly environment. Our citizens are not productive. The environment is not safe. There’s no order. So it’s chaos,” he said, warning that if the current trend continues unchecked, “if it’s not stemmed now, the urgency of now, I wouldn’t want to be around in the next 20 to 30 years.”
Reflecting on his own record as governor of Cross River State, Duke said leadership is ultimately about assembling competent people rather than rewarding political loyalists. “When you’re governing a country like Nigeria, you must look for the best hands. The politics is over, now go to the governance, make sure you leave this place better than you met it,” he said.
Amaechi defends Cardinal Onaiyekan against criticism
Meanwhile, former Rivers Governor and African Democratic Congress vice presidential candidate for 2027, Rotimi Amaechi, has defended Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan over his criticism of the Tinubu administration, insisting the cleric had done nothing wrong but was merely holding the government accountable over the hardship confronting Nigerians. Speaking on Channels Television, Amaechi dismissed suggestions that Onaiyekan’s criticism was politically motivated, saying the cleric supports no political party or presidential hopeful. “He supports nobody. I see Cardinal Onaiyekan regularly; I worship in his private chapel. Cardinal Onaiyekan himself supports nobody,” he said, explaining that the cleric’s interventions are driven by concern over worsening socioeconomic conditions in the country. “The only thing that pains him is the level of indiscretion and poverty in the country and corruption. He worries about that,” he said.
Amaechi rejected claims that Onaiyekan had overstepped by speaking publicly about the country’s situation, arguing that religious leaders have a responsibility to challenge governments whenever citizens are suffering. “I just think that they tried to intimidate him, so they are trying to intimidate him the way they are trying to intimidate the population,” he said. His comments followed criticism of Onaiyekan by government officials and allies after the cardinal disclosed that Catholic bishops had told Tinubu during a recent meeting that Nigeria was “bleeding” under economic hardship, while also raising concerns about preparations for the 2027 general election. The presidency subsequently disputed the cardinal’s remarks, insisting the administration’s economic reforms are yielding positive results, while Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike accused the former Archbishop of Abuja of political bias. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had also backed Onaiyekan, urging government to focus on addressing the country’s economic and security challenges rather than criticizing the cleric.
