Donald Duke: “Tinubu Is My Friend, But I Don’t Like the Direction He’s Taking Nigeria”

Former Cross River State governor Donald Duke has said President Bola Tinubu is his friend but expressed disagreement with the direction he believes the administration is taking Nigeria.

Duke made the remarks during an interview on SYMFONI Television on Saturday, August 22, 2026, while discussing the state of the country under Tinubu’s administration.

The comment has continued to circulate in political discussions, but its date and context are important because it was not a statement newly made on September 27.

What Duke said

During the interview, Duke said: “The President is my friend; we were classmates and colleagues. I like his guts; he is a determined person, but I don’t like where he’s taking us.”

He was discussing issues including the economy, electricity, infrastructure and broader national priorities.

The statement therefore contained two separate elements: an acknowledgement of his personal relationship with Tinubu and criticism of the administration’s policy direction.

The “classmate” clarification

Duke later clarified the meaning of “classmates”. He was not saying that he and Tinubu attended the same school.

The former governor explained that “Class of ’99” referred to their emergence as governors in 1999, when Duke became governor of Cross River State and Tinubu became governor of Lagos State.

Both subsequently served two terms, from 1999 to 2007.

That clarification matters because the original wording could otherwise be misunderstood as a claim about their educational history.

Friendship does not erase political disagreement

Duke’s comments illustrate the distinction between personal relationships and political evaluation.

A politician or former office-holder can maintain a personal relationship with a sitting president while disagreeing with his policies.

Duke’s statement did not amount to a declaration that Tinubu was personally unfit for office. It was a criticism of the direction of governance and national policy.

The useful question, therefore, is not simply whether Duke likes Tinubu.

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It is which policies or decisions he believes are taking Nigeria in the wrong direction, and whether those criticisms can be tested against evidence about the economy, infrastructure, electricity and other areas he referenced.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Duke’s comments should be read as a political critique made during an August 22 television interview, rather than as a new statement made this week.