Donald Duke Says Bad Leadership Caused Insecurity in Nigeria

Former Governor of Cross River State and presidential candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party, Donald Duke, spoke on Wednesday about Nigeria's growing insecurity. He blamed it on years of bad leadership, mentioning that an estimated N2 trillion was paid to kidnappers in 2025.

Duke made these remarks in Abuja. He was there to present certificates of return and party flags to the PRP’s candidates for president, governor, and legislative positions. This event happened just five days after the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, called for the release of school children and teachers kidnapped in recent attacks in Oyo and Borno states.

While accepting his nomination, Duke said Nigeria has lost its way. He claimed self-serving politicians have worsened poverty and insecurity in the country. The former governor described the security situation as very bad. He said that in some areas, criminal groups are now stronger than the government.

Using data from the National Bureau of Statistics, Duke said the amounts paid as ransom to kidnappers have reached shocking levels. He said, "Our land has become so desolate that bandits, gangsters and kidnappers collect taxes while the government collects excuses. As reflected in a report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, approximately N2 trillion was paid as ransom to kidnappers in 2025 alone, an amount equivalent to about 10 percent of the entire federal budget."

He added, "All this is because our leaders have failed to do what is right when it was right and for whom it was right. At the end of the day, the best politics is, and always will be, doing the right thing, not the expedient thing. And he who does not know what is right has no business leading others."

Duke promised to create policies that would improve security and living conditions for all Nigerians. He said, "We must strive for a Nigeria where farmers return safely from their fields and where every child has a desk and chair in a decent learning environment."

He emphasized that the PRP's mission is to support ordinary Nigerians, not just the political elites. He said, "The scavengers have had their turn. Now it is the turn of the common man, the true Nigerian: keke rider, okada, street hawker, market woman, farmer and the unemployed graduate. And I, Donald Duke, seek to be their champion."

Duke acknowledged that this fight would be challenging. He said, "This fight will be tough and bitter, for they will fight back. But we are tougher, more resilient, and our cause is both right and just. If we stood together to win our independence from an empire, together we can redeem Nigeria from these scavengers."

Earlier, the National Chairman of the PRP, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, called Duke the best choice to lead Nigeria and solve its issues. He said, "Today, we present our team of candidates who will lead the march towards national revival and the retrieval of the dreams of past generations who believed that Nigeria has a destiny to fulfil. As a party, we are humbled that they chose to fly our flags."

Baba-Ahmed explained that the party’s candidates are committed to serving the people and understand the effects of poor leadership. He said, "Every one of our candidates is steeped in the values of selfless service with excellence. These men and women who laboured to be our candidates understand the task ahead of them."

He stressed that they know the type of politicians who have failed Nigeria. Baba-Ahmed added, "They know the price we have paid for having leaders who have hijacked our democratic institutions to run us aground. Above all, they know they can stop the rot and turn our country around."

He backed Duke’s candidacy, saying he represents the best of Nigerian leaders. Baba-Ahmed stated, "Under the leadership of Donald Duke, Nigeria will be safe, secure, prosperous and a nation worth respecting by its citizens and the international community."

He concluded by saying the PRP has many candidates who reflect the democratic nature of the party. He said, "Other parties competing with us cannot do justice to their own members in internal leadership selection processes. How can they be fair to Nigerians? Big parties that trash all requirements for justice and fairness for their members now want Nigerians to trust them."