NEWS
2027: Donald Duke Reveals Why He Wants to Be Nigeria’s President
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has explained that his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election is driven by his desire to address Nigeria’s longstanding leadership challenges and transform the country’s economy.
Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, made the declaration while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
He lamented what he described as a persistent leadership deficiency in Nigeria since the return to democratic rule in 1979, arguing that successive administrations had failed to provide the country with the vision required to achieve meaningful development.
According to him, Nigeria could have performed significantly better if the country had been led by individuals with clearly articulated visions for governance.
READ MORE:JUST IN: Former Cross River Gov Donald Duke Defects To ADC
“There has been frustration in the political system since the return to democracy. In reality, we could have done better than what we have if we had the right leadership.
“Since the return to democratic rule, there have been successive governments but there has not been one with leadership vision.
“That is why I have put up myself in order to provide the needed leadership to change the political question and provide the required development and growth.
“We in the political system do not need mudslinging but to tell Nigerians what we can do for the country.”
Duke said many previous leaders assumed office without a clearly defined understanding of what they intended to achieve, maintaining that the absence of an articulated national vision had contributed to repeated failures in governance.
Duke backs opposition unity
The PRP candidate also said the opposition could defeat the incumbent administration in 2027 if political parties and presidential contenders were willing to unite behind the strongest candidate.
He argued that the opposition must put aside personal ambitions and determine who among them has the capacity to lead a united political front.
Duke warned that failure to achieve such unity could make it easier for the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) to retain power in 2027.
He maintained that even the APC’s control of more than 30 states would not guarantee victory if opposition parties successfully united around a common objective.
Duke backs fuel subsidy
On the economy, Duke expressed support for subsidising petroleum products, arguing that Nigeria should not use its natural resources in a way that further burdens citizens.
He criticised the removal of fuel subsidy and the subsequent pricing of petroleum products at rates linked to international market conditions, saying Nigerians should benefit from the resources available in their country.
The former governor also backed the establishment of state police, arguing that the measure had become necessary given the country’s security challenges and the rise in poverty-related crimes.
Student loans need jobs, says Duke
Duke described the government’s student loan scheme as a positive initiative but warned that it would not achieve its intended purpose without sufficient employment opportunities for beneficiaries.
He argued that graduates would struggle to repay their loans if the government failed to introduce policies capable of creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities.
He also criticised the relationship between government spending and revenue generation, calling for stronger coordination between monetary and fiscal policies to stimulate wealth creation and reduce poverty.
Atiku promises direct payment to LGs
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged that his administration would ensure that federal allocations meant for local government councils are paid directly to them if he wins the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, said his government would uphold the rule of law and guarantee the constitutional independence of all tiers of government, including local councils.
He referenced the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment on local government financial autonomy, accusing the Tinubu administration of failing to fully enforce the ruling.
Atiku alleged that political considerations ahead of the 2027 election were influencing the handling of local government funds.
“My administration will respect court judgments, protect local government autonomy, ensure that public funds reach the people for whom they are meant, and restore true federalism,” he said.
According to him, direct funding of local governments would bring development closer to citizens, reduce poverty at the grassroots and strengthen the capacity of local authorities to tackle crimes and terrorism.
The former Vice President further alleged that state governors were being allowed to retain control over local government funds in exchange for political support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“This is not the Nigeria we should accept,” Atiku stated.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has flagged off the disbursement of ₦689.79 million in bursary payments to 19,318 continuing students across 97 institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The disbursement follows a 100 per cent increase in academic bursary rates, marking the first adjustment since 2007.
The latest payment forms part of the state government’s broader investment in education and student welfare, with cumulative bursary disbursements and related student awards under the administration reaching ₦3.29 billion.
SEE ALSO: Dikko Radda Of APC Wins Katsina Governorship Election
More than 174,000 beneficiary payments have been recorded across successive payment cycles.
Increased Allowances for Veterinary and Law Students
Under the revised scholarship support framework, allowances for Veterinary Medicine students have increased by 150 per cent for students in the 300 and 400 levels and by 200 per cent for those in the 500 and 600 levels.
Support for Nigerian Law School students and academic excellence awards has also continued.
The state government has also approved a scholarship programme for 1,700 students, with 50 beneficiaries drawn from each of the state’s 34 local government areas.
The programme is designed to support tuition fees, registration and other educational expenses.
₦6bn Scholarship Trust Fund
The government has made provision for ₦6 billion in seed funding for a scholarship trust fund intended to strengthen educational financing.
The fund is expected to support specialised scholarship opportunities in fields including engineering, medicine, Artificial Intelligence and mechatronics.
The state’s foreign scholarship initiatives have also supported 118 students studying Medicine, Artificial Intelligence and Bioengineering in Egypt, Ethiopia and China, with approved educational and living expenses covered by the government.
More Scholarship Opportunities
Other educational support initiatives include 34 maritime scholarship beneficiaries and seven students receiving 50 per cent financial support at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.
The state has also nominated 34 candidates for MBBS studies in Russia, identified 70 prospective master’s degree candidates and selected 10 candidates for Qur’anic Sciences scholarships in Ghana.
These initiatives form part of the state’s broader efforts to expand access to education across different fields and levels of study.
Scholarship Board Strengthens Accountability
The Katsina State Scholarship Board has also strengthened its application, verification and payment systems.
As part of its accountability measures, the board interviewed more than 14,925 fresh applicants and returned approximately ₦86 million in unclaimed funds to the state government.
The state also acknowledged the contributions of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in expanding access to educational financing and digital learning resources.
Radda Inaugurates Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network
As part of the activities, Radda inaugurated the Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network (TDEBNET), a voluntary organisation comprising parents and beneficiaries of educational programmes.
Members of the organisation expressed support for the re-election bids of Radda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Federal agents raided the Washington, D.C., home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar early Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.
Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, according to a report by Fox News.
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The report said both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DOJ are involved in the investigation.
A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the operation, stating: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.”
The spokesperson added: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
Details later……….
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, arguing that improvements in economic growth and government revenue have not translated into better living conditions for Nigerians.
Obi made the remarks in a statement posted on his X account on Monday, October 12, while reacting to the World Bank’s latest report on Nigeria’s economic performance and government spending priorities.
He argued that improvements in some macroeconomic indicators should not be interpreted as evidence that the standard of living of Nigerians is improving.
According to him, the real measures of economic development are poverty reduction, job creation and efforts to address inequality.
“Nigerians and even the World Bank know that the criteria for economic development is whether poverty is declining, whether jobs are created for our youths, and whether we are reducing acute inequality,” Obi stated.
He maintained that economic stability under the Tinubu administration had not resulted in higher living standards, improved employment opportunities or reduced poverty and inequality across the country.
Obi argued that an economy cannot be considered stable merely because government revenue increases, foreign reserves strengthen or gross domestic product grows.
“Stability exists when citizens can afford food, obtain healthcare, provide education for their children, and live with dignity,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor questioned the benefits of increased government revenue to Nigerians struggling to meet their basic needs.
“What comfort does higher revenue offer a mother who cannot provide her children with a nutritious meal? What does higher government revenue mean to a family forced to choose between purchasing food and paying for medicine?” he asked.
He also questioned the impact of the administration’s economic reforms on ordinary Nigerians, arguing that citizens continued to bear the costs and hardship associated with government policies.
Obi further cited a recent United Nations Development Programme report, which he said listed Nigeria among countries where gains made in reducing poverty had been reversed.
He also claimed that about 140 million Nigerians were classified as multidimensionally poor.
The former presidential candidate accused the Tinubu administration of presenting incomplete economic statistics to project progress without adequately addressing the welfare of citizens.
“President Bola Tinubu and his incompetent team must recognize that intentionally presenting and projecting incomplete economic statistics cannot replace the critical measure of how reform impacts on the welfare of the people,” he said.
Obi added that Nigerians should not be expected to celebrate economic statistics while struggling to survive the effects of government policies.
“A government cannot expect citizens to applaud statistics while they struggle to survive the effects of its policies,” he stated.
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