Nigeria Needs Urgent Intervention to Avert Disaster, Warns Donald Duke

Donald Duke, a presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, has issued a stark warning about Nigeria's future, calling for urgent intervention to avert a deepening crisis. The former Cross River State governor believes that if the nation's current trajectory is not altered within the next four years, the looming disaster will intensify.

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The direction the country is going requires very urgent intervention. In another four years, if we don’t change the trajectory, disaster, which is already looming, will deepen further.

Duke highlighted a combination of critical failures, including a broken and non-growing economy, alongside a collapsed security apparatus manifested in issues like Boko Haram, ISWAP, banditry, and kidnapping. He attributed these problems to systemic inadequacies, poor governance, and a lack of economic growth, particularly noting high interest rates hindering economic expansion. "The direction the country is going requires very urgent intervention. In another four years, if we don’t change the trajectory, disaster, which is already looming, will deepen further," he stated.

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The economy is broken; it’s not growing. Call it Boko Haram, call it ISWAP, call it banditry or kidnapping, those are the fallout. Those are the symptoms of inadequacy.

He pointed to recent scandals, such as the alleged establishment of an unauthorized foreign investment promotion council, as evidence of poor governance stemming from leadership deficiencies. Duke expressed his decision to run for president is driven by the "clear and apparent urgency" of the nation's situation, preferring to get involved rather than remain a mere spectator.

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The recent scandal where someone sets up an office in the Federal Secretariat that is not an institution of government shows there is poor governance in the system.

Furthermore, Duke urged Nigeria's numerous political parties to unite, arguing that a splintered opposition hinders stable democracy. He believes a cohesive opposition is necessary to chart a new course for the country, suggesting he can mediate among competing egos to achieve this common goal. "Ideally, the opposition should come together. The reason why you have a stable democracy in the Western world is that you have primarily two major parties. It’s either/or. We have a splintered opposition with a common goal, but it doesn’t work that way," he explained.

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Ideally, the opposition should come together. The reason why you have a stable democracy in the Western world is that you have primarily two major parties.