Duke Claims Nigerians Were Better Off in 1999 Than Today

Donald Duke, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and former governor of Cross River State, expressed during an interview on the Policy Without Politics (PWP) podcast that Nigerians were better off in 1999 than they are today, despite over two decades of constitutional democracy. He noted that Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Duke argued that the country has not achieved meaningful economic progress, with the annual budget remaining around $25 billion, similar to the early 1980s, despite a population increase from approximately 70 million to between 200 and 250 million. He linked the current economic hardship to insecurity, including Boko Haram insurgency and banditry.

Duke emphasized that the government's primary responsibility is to create a productive and safe environment for citizens and criticized the reliance on foreign reserves as a measure of economic progress, advocating for a focus on employment and productivity instead.