The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has revealed his proposed approach to governance if elected president in the 2027 general election, suggesting that his cabinet could consist entirely of non-politicians.
Speaking during an interview in Abuja on Monday, the former Cross River State governor said he would prioritise competence and the ability to deliver results over political connections when selecting members of his cabinet.
Duke argued that Nigeria’s numerous challenges required a government driven by capable individuals rather than political interests, patronage or preparations for another election.
“If I am going to pick a cabinet, you may not find any politician in that cabinet,” he said.
He maintained that the 2027 presidential election should focus more on candidates’ plans for addressing the country’s economic challenges, insecurity, unemployment, education, healthcare and justice system rather than personalities and political structures.
Explaining his position, Duke said he was willing to disregard political considerations in appointing ministers, insisting that an administration focused on rewarding politicians could lose sight of its responsibilities.
“I’m going for broke. When you start putting politicians in your cabinet, you are looking at the next election. You are thinking about the people who will support you. For me, I want the people to support me. If you perform, the people will support you,” he said.
Drawing from his experience as Cross River governor between 1999 and 2007, Duke argued that good governance and visible achievements could serve as a stronger campaign strategy than extensive political mobilisation.
He recalled that his first governorship election involved considerable campaigning because he was relatively unknown to the electorate. However, he said his performance in office significantly reduced the need for political rallies when he sought re-election.
“My first election in Cross River was really tough. I was basically introducing myself to the people, and there were politicians running around everywhere.
“But by my second election, I hardly needed to go to rallies. You could feel the mood. People would tell me, ‘Don’t worry yourself; you have proved your mettle.’”
According to him, the experience reinforced his belief that elected officials should allow their achievements to determine whether they deserve another mandate.
“When you prove your mettle, much of the politics disappears. People trust you because they have seen what you can do.
“When you are contesting for the first time, people hold on to your words because that is what you offered them. But when you are seeking a second term, they should hold on to your work. Your work should speak for you,” he said.
Duke expressed concern over public office holders who, after spending several years in government, still depend largely on promises and lengthy explanations of their achievements during re-election campaigns.
“At that point, you shouldn’t have to spend your time telling people what you did. They should know. Your work becomes your campaign,” he stated.
The PRP presidential hopeful also identified what he described as a major weakness in Nigeria’s democratic system, arguing that although the Constitution establishes eligibility requirements for public office, it does not provide an equally rigorous framework for assessing candidates’ suitability.
He explained that meeting the required age, citizenship conditions and criminal record provisions might make an individual eligible to contest an election but does not necessarily demonstrate the person’s ability to govern a complex country.
Duke said: “The constitution tells you who is eligible. It tells you the age requirement and says you must not have certain criminal convictions and so on.
“But where is the section dealing with suitability? We need to sit down and design a suitability matrix. Leadership should not be a free-for-all where everybody enters and the most popular person wins, even when that person does not know where he is taking the country.”
He compared the process of choosing a president to how a football manager selects the strongest players for an important match, stressing that competence should outweigh popularity.
“If you want to win a Premier League match, you put out your best eleven. That is what I am trying to put on the table.
“This is not a popularity contest. You don’t substitute your future for a popular candidate. You look for who is best equipped to do the job,” he said.
Explaining his decision to contest the presidency, Duke said he was partly motivated by frustration over the country’s declining condition and the reluctance of capable individuals to take responsibility for changing the situation.
“Am I the best candidate? I cannot say that. The voters will decide who the best is. But I want to put another option on the table because the options we have had have been too narrow and have not adequately addressed the issues,” he stated.
He further maintained that competence should also determine appointments across critical sectors of government, particularly education, healthcare, justice and security, where he said mediocrity should not be tolerated.
“The ultimate function of government is to enhance the productivity of the people.
“Education becomes critical because people need the skills to be productive. Health is critical because they must be healthy enough to use those skills. Justice is fundamental because you cannot have peace without justice. And security, of course, is indispensable.
“The problem today is that everything has become urgent,” he stated.
The former governor also criticised Nigeria’s elite for prioritising their personal comfort and that of their families while paying insufficient attention to the welfare of the wider society, which he said ultimately affects their own security.
“The Nigerian elite is selfish and self-centred. He thinks that by looking after himself and his immediate family, he is safe. But he is not.
“Enlightened self-interest should make us look beyond ourselves and consider the wider community.”
He argued that individual prosperity could not be sustained in an environment where the majority of citizens remained trapped in poverty and deprivation.
“If you want to be the richest man in the community, that is fine. But make sure the other members of that community are not so poor that your wealth itself makes you a target.
“You see successful Nigerians moving around their own country with security and sirens. This is your country. This is your home. Why should you live in fear in your own home and not realise that something is fundamentally wrong?”
Duke maintained that Nigeria’s next administration must be built around competence, effective service delivery and accountability rather than the traditional practice of political patronage and rewarding loyalists.
