Buhari’s leadership out of tune with Nigeria’s reality, says Donald Duke

Donald Duke, a presidential aspirant, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership is out of tune with the country’s reality.

Duke, a former governor of Cross River, said this in an interview with Deutsche Welle Africa.

The former governor said Buhari’s government is characterised with “obvious failings”.

“Because I see such obvious failings. I see a leadership that is steeped in the past; that has refused to evolve with a nation that is predominantly a nation of young aspiring people and still doing things the way they were done many years ago and did not work,” he said.

“I think our leadership in the country today is totally out of tune with the current reality of our nation.

“There is disconnect somewhere so when you have a leadership that blames its young people for instance of not striving enough or of being lazy, there is a disconnect because the tools to make them achieve their aspiration have not been provided.”

The presidential aspirant said contrary to the claims of the government, Boko Haram has not been defeated.

“They have announced that the war is over and Boko Haram has been defeated. We know it hasn’t been defeated. There are still bombings and kidnappings in the north-east. If you visit the IDPs, you will see that we are breeding the next generation of very disgruntled people,” Duke said.

“You can’t grow your economy with the type of banking system we run where the interest rate is in the upper 20s. You need to have affordable credit which will enable small and medium scale businessmen to borrow and expand their businesses.

“Nigeria grew faster when we had regulation on interest rates; when the interest rates were in single digits. Secondly, we have to grow the economy at 15 percent for 10 years to recalibrate the system. Nigeria ought to be a $2.5tn economy and not a $400bn economy.”