Former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has said Nigerians were better off in 1999 than they are today, arguing that the country has failed to record meaningful progress under 26 years of constitutional democracy.

Duke made the remarks during an interview on the Policy Without Politics (PWP) podcast, a clip of which circulated on Sunday.

He described Nigeria’s democracy as a “facade”, saying citizens had become poorer with each election cycle.

“We’re really not in a democracy. It’s a facade. And with each cycle, we get poorer,” he said.

According to Duke, Nigeria was more affordable in 1999, while the country’s economic growth has failed to keep pace with its rising population and increased budgetary allocations.

He compared Nigeria’s current economic position with that of the early 1980s, noting that the country’s annual budget at the time was valued at about $25 billion when the population was roughly 70 million.

Duke said Nigeria’s budget remains around the same dollar value despite the population having grown to more than 200 million.

He also attributed insecurity, including Boko Haram insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, largely to economic hardship.

“Boko Haram, they are not religious fanatics. They’re just economic banditry. Then you have the bandits and the kidnappers,” he said.

The PRP candidate argued that government should focus less on foreign reserves as a measure of economic progress and instead prioritise employment and citizens’ productivity.

“Let’s measure the value of our economy by the number of people who are working,” he said.

Duke added that government policies, particularly in education, should be designed to improve the productivity of Nigerians and create a safe environment where citizens can thrive.

“The essence of having a government in place is to ensure the optimal productivity of citizens within a safe and orderly environment,” he said.