Nigerians were better off under military rule – Donald Duke

Former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has sparked debate after claiming that Nigerians were better off under military rule compared with the country’s years of democratic governance.

Duke made the statement while assessing Nigeria’s 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, arguing that democracy has failed to deliver meaningful improvements in the lives of citizens despite the huge cost of running government.

“The people were better off under the military. At least governance was not that expensive,” Duke said.

The former governor said the true measure of democracy should be based on the welfare of citizens and the benefits they have gained since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999.

He questioned whether Nigerians were genuinely better off today compared with the period before democracy returned, citing challenges in education, healthcare, infrastructure and unemployment.

“If we focus on the well-being of the people, what we term democracy dividends, how much has been delivered?” he asked.

Duke argued that many of the problems Nigeria faced before 1999 remain unresolved, saying issues such as poor electricity supply, joblessness and weak public services have continued to worsen.

According to him, Nigeria has the resources and human capacity to solve its challenges but has failed to adopt effective strategies used by other countries.

The PRP presidential candidate also criticised the country’s political system, claiming that a weakened opposition and disputed election outcomes have reduced accountability among elected officials.

He alleged that many Nigerians have become discouraged from participating in elections because they believe their votes do not influence outcomes.

Duke further described Nigeria’s democratic system as a “pretence”, arguing that institutions meant to provide checks and balances, including the legislature and judiciary, have failed to effectively hold the executive accountable.

He cited the quick approval of the return to Nigeria’s old national anthem by the National Assembly as an example of what he described as lawmakers failing to properly scrutinise government decisions.

The former governor blamed Nigeria’s political challenges on the failure of the elite to take responsibility for leadership, saying politics had become more of an occupation than a public service.

Duke also warned that the growing gap between the rich and poor could create instability if urgent steps were not taken to improve living conditions.

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