Former Governor of Cross River State and presidential candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party within the 2027 basic election, Donald Duke has likened opposition parties supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid to political manoeuvres in the course of the late army ruler Sani Abacha’s controversial transition to civilian rule, warning that Nigeria is heading in the direction of catastrophe.
Mr Duke, who made the declare whereas showing on Arise TV Morning Show on Thursday mentioned the alignment of opposition parties with Mr Tinubu undermined the prospect of a reputable contest, recalling the 5 political parties that endorsed General Abacha’s transition programme within the Nineties.
“Some of the opposition parties supporting the president. It is reminiscent of what happened in Abacha’s transition. You know, the five leprous fingers? Yes. So you now have four leprous fingers, because one of the fingers has dropped off,” Mr Duke mentioned.
He warned that Nigerians ought to take the political route of the nation critically slightly than deal with the rising alliances as routine political manoeuvring.
“You should find time because we shouldn’t be glib about where we’re going. I said that where we’re going in this country is, we’re looking at disaster. We are looking at disaster. We’re doing nothing about it. We’re playing politics with ourselves,” he mentioned.
What have been Abacha’s ‘five leprous fingers’?
Mr Duke’s reference was to the 5 political parties that supported General Abacha’s transition programme and endorsed his bid to change into a civilian president earlier than his dying in June 1998.
The parties, usually collectively described because the “five leprous fingers”, have been the United Nigeria Congress Party, National Centre Party of Nigeria, Democratic Party of Nigeria, Grassroots Democratic Movement and Congress for National Consensus.
The expression captured the criticism of the transition programme, below which the 5 parties converged behind the army ruler slightly than present a significant contest for political energy.
General Abacha seized energy in November 1993, after the collapse of the short-lived Interim National Government established following the annulment of the 12 June 1993 presidential election, broadly believed to have been received by Moshood Abiola.
Mr Abacha subsequently launched a transition programme that critics thought to be an try and legitimise continued army rule by means of a civilian presidency. All 5 registered political parties ultimately adopted him as their consensus presidential candidate.
His dying on 8 June 1998 ended the controversial course of. General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded him, initiated a contemporary transition programme that culminated within the return to civilian rule in May 1999.
In the construct as much as the 2027 election, opposition figures from the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party have overtly backed Mr Tinubu.
Also, some Labour Party youth leaders have proposed an alliance with the APC to help President Tinubu’s re-election bid, though the celebration has not formally endorsed him. This growth has given start to the Rainbow Coalition promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
By invoking the analogy, Mr Duke recommended that the willingness of opposition parties to help an incumbent president might weaken democratic competitors and go away voters with no credible different.
The comparability comes as political actors start positioning themselves forward of the 2027 basic election, with the opposition dealing with questions on its capability to unite round a viable problem to Mr Tinubu.
Duke criticises Tinubu’s financial insurance policies
Mr Duke mentioned the federal government ought to concentrate on increasing financial manufacturing and productiveness slightly than putting extreme emphasis on income assortment.
He argued that prime rates of interest have been discouraging companies from borrowing and investing, limiting their capability to increase and create jobs.
“You can’t grow your economy at 30-something per cent interest rate. It’s not possible. No one would go to a bank and borrow money at such high costs,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned inflation is attributable to excessive power prices, arguing that decreasing petrol costs would assist decrease manufacturing bills and ease strain on households and companies.
“The central bank will tell you it’s because of inflation. What are the inflationary items? Your cost of fuel is horrendous. So that is an inflation. And that’s why it makes it incumbent to try and bring down the price of fuel as low as possible,” he mentioned.
Mr Duke criticised the federal government’s financial administration, insisting that its concentrate on income era didn’t adequately account for the productive capability of the financial system.
“This tax minister who sells himself coordinating minister of economy, you know, big names kill small dogs, right? He’s looking at revenue, not the totality of the economy,” he mentioned.
He argued that Nigeria needs to be elevating a bigger share of its gross home product by means of its funds and increasing the tax base by rising financial exercise.
“If you say you’re the largest economy in Africa and your GDP is about $400-and-something billion or so, the figures, you should be able to raise about 15 to 20 per cent of your GDP as your budget. We’re still at five per cent. So we’re not even capturing the numbers we should,” he mentioned.
He warned that extreme dependence on petroleum-related earnings would perpetuate the nation’s financial difficulties slightly than promote sustainable growth.
“We’re just focusing on petrol. But it’s a double-edged sword, because if you focus on that, you’ll remain poor, as we are,” he mentioned.
Energy, healthcare, schooling priorities
Asked about his rapid priorities if elected president, Mr Duke recognized power, healthcare, schooling, infrastructure and the productiveness of Nigerians as key areas requiring pressing consideration.
“Everything in Nigeria is almost a state of urgency, but I’ll strengthen, I’ll come back to this energy thing because it’s what is stifling the country, right? I’ll focus on health, I’ll focus on education, of course, infrastructure, but more importantly, I’ll be focusing on the productivity of Nigerians,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that the fee of residing had change into unsustainable for staff, whose earnings have been more and more insufficient to cowl fundamental bills.
“Nigerians are not productive because the banks are not lending. The cost, look, the average, if you’re a worker, your one salary can’t fill your minimum wage, can’t fill your tank. Those are the things killing Nigerians,” he mentioned.
Mr Duke declined to vow a direct wage improve, saying a authorities ought to first look at the prices eroding staff’ incomes.
“I didn’t say I would increase salaries. Oh, okay. No, I can’t sit down on this chair and say I’m going to increase salaries because there’s so many things you’ve got to look at,” he mentioned.
“What I will strive to do is reduce the cost of those things that grapple at our salaries.”
Discover extra from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the most recent posts despatched to your electronic mail.
