According to a report by Daily Post on Monday, September 7, 2026, former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has sparked controversy after declaring that Nigerians were better off under military rule than they are under the country’s current democratic system.
Duke made the statement during an interview over the weekend, questioning whether nearly three decades of civilian administration have delivered meaningful improvements to the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
According to the former governor, the performance of democracy should not be judged merely by the existence of elected governments but by the tangible benefits citizens receive from the system.
“The people today, I would tell you that they were better off under the military. At least governance was not that expensive,” Duke said.
Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999 after years of military government, with successive civilian administrations taking charge of the country. Duke, however, argued that many of the fundamental problems confronting Nigerians before the transition to democracy remain unresolved.
He specifically pointed to unemployment, inadequate electricity, poor infrastructure, education and healthcare as areas where he believes the country has failed to make sufficient progress.
“I’m speaking broadly now. If we focus on the well-being of the people, what we term democracy dividends, how much has been delivered?” he asked.
“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.”
Duke further questioned whether Nigerians are significantly better off today than they were in 1999, arguing that the country has not developed a coherent strategy for tackling its longstanding challenges.
“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,” he said.
The PRP candidate also criticised Nigeria’s political system, particularly the weakness of the opposition and what he described as growing public distrust in the electoral process.
According to him, many Nigerians have become disillusioned because they believe election results do not always accurately reflect the choices made by voters.
Duke also questioned the effectiveness of the country’s democratic institutions and their ability to provide meaningful checks and balances. He cited the National Assembly’s approval of the return to Nigeria’s old national anthem as an example of what he regarded as inadequate scrutiny by lawmakers.
“We changed the national anthem in a week. Nobody was asking questions,” he said, arguing that institutions expected to hold the executive accountable had failed to adequately perform that role.
The former governor blamed Nigeria’s political elite for much of the country’s leadership crisis. He argued that educated and influential Nigerians had failed to take responsibility for shaping the political system, allowing public office to become a permanent occupation for a small group of politicians.
“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,” Duke said.
He also expressed concern about Nigeria’s widening economic inequality, warning that the growing gap between wealthy Nigerians and those struggling to survive could eventually threaten social stability.
Duke recalled a warning attributed to economist Professor Sam Aluko that a point could come when wealthy Nigerians would be unable to sleep because poor citizens could no longer afford to eat.
Despite his criticism, Duke said he remained convinced that Nigeria could overcome its difficulties because of the country’s abundant human and natural resources.
“Nigeria is exceedingly blessed. It’s sad. It’s painful that we are where we are,” he said.
Duke’s comments come as he prepares for the 2027 presidential election. The PRP’s National Working Committee confirmed him as the party’s presidential candidate in June after reviewing the outcome of its primary election and subsequent appeals. The party said it had cleared candidates for various elective positions ahead of the 2027 polls.
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