Former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, has said that while he maintains a personal friendship with President Bola Tinubu, he strongly disagrees with the direction in which Tinubu is steering Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview, Duke explained that his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) stems from his desire to “change the trajectory of national discussion” and offer Nigerians a more productive vision.
On the contentious issue of fuel subsidy, Duke rejected calls to restore it, arguing instead that petrol should be sold at cost of production plus a modest margin.
He suggested that Nigerians could access petrol at ₦200–₦300 per litre if government adopted this model, stressing that energy is Nigeria’s greatest economic advantage.He criticized decades of gas flaring and urged investment in local gas distribution, saying: “Nigeria should not sell its gas for local consumption at international price. It’s our own. Just sell it at the cost of production.”
Duke also dismissed the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project as a “fancy road” Nigeria cannot afford now, insisting that priorities should focus on education, poverty reduction, and productivity.
On insecurity, he advocated decentralizing policing through state and local government police, with stronger emphasis on intelligence gathering.
He argued that Nigeria’s security architecture has remained outdated since the Civil War era.
Explaining his choice of PRP, Duke said he wanted to be part of shaping national debate, even if the party is not seen as a dominant force.
He emphasized that democracy thrives on diversity of opinion: “President Tinubu is my friend. But I disagree with the direction he’s taking Nigeria. Even within a family, we all don’t have to think and act the same way.”
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