Donald Duke, 2027 presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) and former governor of Cross River State, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s record in office has exposed structural weaknesses in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Duke stated this on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he assessed the administration’s performance more than three years of its term.
Asked whether the President is politically stronger now than in 2023, Duke said Tinubu no longer enjoys the level of public sympathy that propelled him to office.
“I don’t think so. I think his governance has exposed the weakness of the contraption called APC. I don’t think he has the sympathies he had in 2023,” Duke said.
According to him, worsening economic conditions have fuelled public disillusionment, with early optimism giving way to frustration among households and businesses.
“Things have gone harder for people. A lot of people are disillusioned by his style of governance; hope has turned into despair,” he said.
Duke described Tinubu as a formidable political operator but said that strength has not translated into effective governance.
“Give it to him, he is a formidable politician. My issue with him is governance, not politics. He is weak on governance. From what we have seen over the last three years, he is very weak on governance,” he said.
The PRP presidential candidate argued that the administration should not be given another term, warning that rising poverty could deepen economic and social pressures.
He said that while political parties may bank on established structures ahead of the 2027 general election, economic realities will weigh heavily on voters.
“Yes, you talk about structures and all that, but I think on election day they will be fighting for their own survival,” he said.
Duke added that if elected president in 2027, he would put in place what he described as a more effective governance framework than the current administration.
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