By Our Reporter
Former Cross River State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has said his personal friendship with President Bola Tinubu remains intact despite his disagreement with the direction of the current administration.
Duke said his political differences with Tinubu should not be mistaken for personal animosity, stressing that their relationship dates back to 1998, long before the president assumed his current position.
The former governor spoke on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he criticised the Federal Government’s economic policies and questioned their impact on the welfare of Nigerians.
“President Tinubu is my friend since 1998, but I don’t like the direction he’s going. I think we will not achieve much going in this direction. But when it comes to personality, we remain friends,” Duke said.
His remarks came amid discussions on the state of the Nigerian economy and efforts by opposition parties to build a common platform capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Duke expressed concern over the economic hardship facing Nigerians, arguing that government policies should be assessed by their tangible effects on citizens rather than official claims of economic progress.
He questioned the effectiveness of measures introduced by the Tinubu administration to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange reforms and other economic changes.
When confronted with a list of government interventions, including conditional cash transfers, small business grants, student loans, minimum wage adjustments and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, the PRP candidate challenged the interviewer to identify any of the policies that had personally improved his circumstances.
“Not one of these policies, would I say, has benefited me in any way,” he said.
Duke argued that temporary financial assistance could not serve as a sustainable substitute for policies that create jobs, expand businesses and improve the productive capacity of Nigerians.
“I told you that the mission statement of a government ought to be the productivity of its people,” he said.
The former governor also criticised what he described as an unsustainable economic environment, pointing to high interest rates, rising energy costs and the difficulties confronting businesses that depend on bank financing.
He maintained that Nigeria’s abundant natural and human resources should be harnessed to strengthen domestic production, improve economic competitiveness and reduce dependence on imports.
According to Duke, government policies should create conditions in which individuals and businesses can generate sustainable incomes rather than rely on periodic grants and stipends.
He reiterated that his disagreement with Tinubu was based on concerns about governance and the country’s economic direction, not a breakdown in their personal relationship.
Duke maintained that political leaders should ultimately be judged by their ability to improve the living conditions of Nigerians, irrespective of personal friendships or political affiliations.
