Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Donald Duke, has explained why he does not support President Bola Tinubu, despite describing the President as his friend.
Duke said his position is based on his disagreement with the direction he believes Tinubu is taking Nigeria, stressing that political differences do not prevent people from maintaining personal relationships.
Duke Explains His Position
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Duke said democracy allows individuals to make different political choices, including supporting different parties and candidates.
The former governor argued that there is no requirement for everyone to belong to the same political party or support the same candidate, even when they have personal or family relationships.
He maintained that the fact that some former governors have chosen to support Tinubu does not mean he is obligated to do the same.
‘I Disagree With The Direction He’s Taking Nigeria’
Duke described Tinubu as his friend but made it clear that their political positions are different.
“President Tinubu is my friend. But I disagree with the direction he’s taking Nigeria,” the PRP presidential candidate said.
He explained that people can maintain personal relationships while holding different political views, describing that freedom of political choice as part of the value of democracy.
According to Duke, individuals do not necessarily have to think or act alike simply because they belong to the same family or maintain personal relationships.
Duke Points To Political Differences In Families
The former Cross River governor further argued that political differences can exist even among members of the same family.
He cited the example of former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, saying he had heard that one of Atiku’s sons is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Duke used the example to reinforce his argument that people should be able to support different political parties and candidates without that necessarily affecting their personal relationships.
“We don’t have to be in one party. And that’s the beauty of democracy. We express ourselves,” he said.
Duke’s 2027 Political Position
Duke’s comments come in the context of his own political ambitions ahead of the 2027 presidential election, in which he is identified in the supplied report as the PRP presidential candidate.
His remarks therefore distinguish his political position from that of Tinubu while also stressing that political disagreement does not amount to personal hostility.
He said the support of other former governors for Tinubu does not create an obligation for him to support the President.
Political Choice And Personal Relationships
At the centre of Duke’s explanation is the distinction between political affiliation and personal relationships.
While he said he disagrees with the direction Tinubu is taking Nigeria, he simultaneously described the President as his friend.
His comments present political disagreement as a normal part of democratic participation, where individuals can maintain their personal relationships while choosing different parties and candidates.
Duke Reaffirms His Democratic Argument
Duke’s position, as presented in the interview, is that political support should remain a matter of individual choice rather than an obligation created by friendship, family relationships or the decisions of other political figures.
He reiterated that people do not have to belong to the same party or support the same candidate, saying that the ability to express such differences is part of democracy.
