Former Governor of Cross River State and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Donald Duke, says 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, noting that their relationship predates the President's current position.
He spoke on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, monitored by DAILY POST in Abeokuta.
“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.
The PRP presidential hopeful was reacting to the state of the economy and efforts by the opposition to build a common platform to challenge the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2027.
Duke faulted the hardship facing Nigerians, arguing that government policies should be judged by their impact on citizens' welfare and not by official claims of economic progress.
He questioned the effectiveness of interventions introduced by the Tinubu administration to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate reforms and other economic measures.
When presented with several government programmes, including conditional cash transfers, grants for small businesses, student loans, minimum wage adjustment and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Duke challenged the host to identify any policy that had personally improved his situation.
“Not one of these policies, would I say, has benefited me in any way,” he said, adding that temporary financial assistance was not a sustainable substitute for productivity.
According to him, government should focus on creating an environment where Nigerians can earn sustainable incomes, rather than relying on periodic grants and stipends.
“I told you that the mission statement of a government ought to be the productivity of its people,” Duke said.
He also criticised what he described as an unsustainable business environment, citing high interest rates, high energy costs and the struggles of businesses dependent on bank financing.
Duke said Nigeria's abundant natural and human resources should be harnessed to improve productivity and reduce dependence on imports.
He stressed that his disagreement with Tinubu was rooted in governance and economic direction, not personal issues, insisting that leaders should be assessed by their ability to improve the lives of Nigerians, regardless of personal relationships or party affiliations.
Tinubu is my friend but I don't like his politics – Donald Duke