Former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate Donald Duke has warned that personal ambition among opposition politicians could undermine efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges and challenge the ruling party.
Speaking in an interview with News Central Managing Director Kayode Akintemi, Duke urged opposition leaders to set aside individual interests and work together, saying the country’s problems were too serious for one person to solve.
“First of all, it’s not about me. The ambition is not to be president. My mission is to get Nigeria working,” he said.
Duke said he would rather contribute to a team of capable people than pursue the presidency for its own sake.
“I would love to be part of a team that gets this country working. That’s one. Two, the situation is so dire now that not one man can redeem Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the next president would need to assemble experts across different sectors and hold them accountable.
“At best, he can put together a team of experts in every sector, holding them completely accountable,” he said.
Duke said the country’s deep-rooted problems required decisive action, which could be mistaken for excessive harshness.
“Things are so bad now that when you do the right thing, it’s, ‘Oh, you’re taking it too far,’” he said.
Using the analogy of a ship’s captain, he said Nigeria needed a leader who could bring together an effective team to steer the country out of its difficulties.
“So you want to be a captain who assembles an incredible team to take us out of our rot because not one person can do it,” he said.
Duke also criticised opposition politicians who insist on leading rather than supporting another candidate they believe is better suited to the task.
He said such an approach could undermine efforts to change the country’s direction.
“And this is where I think the ego of the other candidates is becoming negative to Nigeria,” he said.
“Either me or nobody else, or either me or let the incumbent remain. We all agree on one thing: that we’re not doing well as a nation, but if I’m not the one who’s going to be the captain of the ship, then let the nation continue to drift.”
Duke described that attitude as a major obstacle to progress. “That’s a problem,” he said.
