Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has argued that Nigerians were better off under military rule than under the current democratic system.
Speaking during an interview over the weekend, Duke said that despite 27 years of civilian governance since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the lives of ordinary Nigerians have not improved significantly.
“The people were better off under the military. At least governance was not that expensive,” he said.
According to Duke, the assessment should be based on citizens’ welfare and the democracy dividends delivered over the years.
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“We’re still having the same problems we had 27 years ago. It’s getting worse. The number of children out of school has not improved; it’s deteriorating. The healthcare system is not improving; it’s deteriorating,” he pointed.
He questioned whether Nigeria is better off today than it was in 1999, pointing to persistent challenges such as poor infrastructure, unemployment, and inadequate electricity supply.
“The problems that existed before 1999 electrification, unemployment, those things are still there. And I don’t see a structured approach towards dealing with these issues.”
Duke also criticized Nigeria’s political system, describing the opposition as weak and self-serving, he argued that many citizens have lost faith in elections because they believe their votes do not count.
“The opposition is terribly weakened and self-centred. Democracy is also in danger. The results you get from the polls often don’t reflect the views of the people.”
He said this lack of trust has reduced accountability, allowing elected officials to ignore the needs of the people.
The former governor further claimed that Nigeria’s democratic institutions are failing in their responsibility to provide checks and balances.
As an example, he cited the swift approval of Nigeria’s return to the former national anthem, arguing that lawmakers failed to properly scrutinize the decision.
Duke also blamed the country’s elite for abandoning leadership responsibilities and allowing politics to become a permanent occupation for a select group.
“It’s a failure of the elite more than anything else. We’re elites; we’re enlightened people but we abdicated our leadership to those whom we should be leading.”
He warned that the growing gap between the rich and poor could threaten social stability, recalling a prediction that a time would come when the wealthy would struggle to sleep because of widespread poverty.
Despite his criticism, Duke expressed disappointment rather than hopelessness, stressing that Nigeria possesses the human and material resources needed for progress.
“Nigeria is exceedingly blessed. It’s sad. It’s painful that we are where we are,” concluded.
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