A
presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Donald Duke, on
Tuesday said that his ambition was not supported by former President Olusegun
Obasanjo.
Duke,
a former governor of Cross River State who recently declared his intention to
run for the exalted office, told newsmen in Lagos that though he remained close
to Obasanjo, his decision to run was personal.
“I
am not hypocritical. I am close to the former president, but he is neither my
sponsor nor my backup. However, those who come up with this propaganda also go
to get the ex-president’s endorsement.
“I
will not keep people aside because of what others think. I need everybody’s
support; but I am running as Duke and nobody’s stogie.
“I
will be putting myself up to run. How it pans out is not what I can say’’ he
said.
On
the zoning in the PDP, Duke said that it would not deter him from running as it
remained his constitutional rights.
“Let
the people decide. Zoning is undemocratic. I am running as a Nigerian. Zoning
has never brought out the best in us. It brings compromise,’’ he said.
He,
however, said that his candidature and final platform would be determined on
what unfolds in the party.
“There
are talks going on with other platforms. When these talks are concluded, then
Nigeria will know my final stand. I remain a bona fide member of the PDP,’’ he
said.
Duke
said that there was need for every Nigeria to get involved in governance in one
form or another saying: “Things don’t just happen. Folks make it happen.’’
On
Tinapa Holiday Resort in Cross River which was his pet project, Duke lamented
that it was neglected by subsequent governments.
“Tinapa
was completed. It would have been making trillions of Naira for the state if
successive governments had continued with the project.
“With
continuity it would have been moving. Tinapa is just a metaphor for poor
governance and problem of continuity in governance.
“We
built Tinapa to drive development in Cross River. Continuing with such a
project would have made the state less dependent of subvention,’’ he said.
(NAN)
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