Donald Duke
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Page Module:Infobox/styles.css has no content.Page Module:Infobox/styles.css has no content.Page Module:Infobox/styles.css has no content.Donald Duke | |
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| Commissioner for Finance and Planning | |
| In office 1992-1993 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Afufu |
| Succeeded by | Walter Patrick Eneji |
| Governor of Cross River State | |
| In office Template:En dash range | |
| Preceded by | Christopher Osondu |
| Succeeded by | Liyel Imoke |
| Personal details | |
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| Party | African Democratic Congress (ADC) |
| SpouseScript error: No such module "Detect singular". | Onari Duke |
| Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Class of 1982 University of Pennsylvania Class of 1984 | |
| Website | https://www.donaldduke.ng |
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Donald Duke (<phonos file="Ig-Donald Duke.ogg">listen</phonos>; born 30 September 1961 in Calabar) is a Nigerian politician. He was the Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is currently a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and was the 2019 Nigeria Presidential candidate for Social Democratic Party, SDP.[1][2]
Personal life and education
Duke was born to Henry Etim Duke, the second indigenous (after Ayodele Diyan) and longest serving Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (then referred to as Chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise Duties).[3] His father was a member of the Duke chieftaincy family of Duke Town, one of the Efik Kingdom's most powerful ruling dynasties.[4][5]
He attended Corona School, Ikoyi, and Federal Government College, Sokoto.[6]
He received his LLB degree in 1982 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – Nigeria, his B.L. in 1983 from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and an L.L.M. in Business and Admiralty Law in 1984 from the University of Pennsylvania.[7]
Duke is married to Onari Duke. In 2018, their daughter Xerona married the musician DJ Caise, a grandson of the billionaire Nigerian aristocrat Chief Antonio Deinde Fernandez.[8]
Political career
Spearheading the incumbent debt of Nigeria, Duke pushed for democracy and against military control. He stated: "What got the military out of power was not democracy but the dreadful state of the economy. If we, the democratic government, cannot deliver food for the mass of people we can forget about democracy."[9]
Duke received praise for his contributions to the fields of agriculture, urban development, government, environment, information and communication, investment drive, and tourism, as well as having made Calabar the cleanest city in Nigeria.[10]
He initiated the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race which attracted contestants and visitors from other countries.[11][12] In 2005, he created a special reserve fund for the state meant to "hedge against economic downturn, and the inevitable rainy day". This was meant to cushion the effect of unforeseeable economic challenges that may occasion uncertainty in the state's internally generated revenue, and monthly allocation from the federal government.[13][14]
He also initiated the Calabar Carnival which started in 2004 and is popularly referred to as "Africa's biggest street party."[15]
Duke initiated the Tinapa Resort project as a way to boost business and tourism in the state. Over $350 million was spent on initial development before phase 1 opening in April 2007.[16]
BBC reported in September 2006 that Governor Duke was the only governor specifically mentioned as not being under investigation by the federal Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. (Four other governors were also reported as not under investigation but their names were not released.)[17]
Duke announced that he would run for the presidency in the 2007 election, but stepped aside in favour of the eventual winner, Umaru Yar'Adua.[18]
On 8 June 2018, Duke declared interest in running for presidency in 2019.[19]
On Tuesday, 4 September 2018, Duke after much silence as to what party he'll be running under for president, announced that he'll be leaving PDP to run under SDP.[20]
On Monday, 14 June 2021, Duke was officially welcomed back to PDP by the party's leaders after two years of defection to SDP in the presidential race. He stated some reasons why he left, saying that the party neglected and deviated from some of their core principles, and also urged the party to return to these principles.[21]
See also
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nnochiri, Ikechukwu (24 January 2019). "Breaking: A-Court affirms Duke as SDP Presidential candidate". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Toromade, Samson (9 June 2018). "Ex-Governor officially declares to run for president in 2019". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ https://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/reforming-the-nigeria-customs-service.151796/[permanent dead link]
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Nigeria and the Curse of Slavery". This Day. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Confronting Africa's role in the slave trade". cfr.org. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ogunbiyi, Yemi (3 September 2006). "Nigeria: Term Limits for Elected Office Holders Undemocratic, Gov. Donald Duke". AllAfrica. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."nigerdeltacongress.com". nigerdeltacongress.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Teju Phillips' son Derin set to wed Donald Duke's daughter Xerona". guardian.ng. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Odious Debts – A new deal for Africa: Rooting out looters: Nigeria new president aims for debt relief Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- ^ [1] Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- ^ History Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Obudu Ranch Mountain Race. Retrieved on 5 December 2009.
- ^ Hughes, Danny (21 November 2007). Reigning champions return to contest world’s richest mountain running race – Preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-05.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Babah, Chinedu (8 October 2018). "DUKE, Donald". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ Valentine Achum http://sunnewsonline.com/managing-recession-the-duke-obi-examples/ Daily Sun, 11 OCT 2016. VOL 13 NO. 3512
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Webmaster. "History of Calabar Carnival". nico.gov.ng. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Nigeria: Tinapa, Africa's Premier Business-Tourism Resort Opens Monday April 2". Huluq. 1 April 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Nigeria governors in graft probe". BBC News. 28 September 2006.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ugwuanyi, Sylvester (11 August 2015). "Yar'Adua, Jonathan were not mentally prepared for power – Donald Duke". Daily Post. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ex-Governor officially declares to run for president in 2019". Pulse Nigeria. 9 June 2018.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Donald Duke dumps PDP, picks SDP presidential form". The Punch. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Donald Duke rejoins PDP after disastrous SDP run". Pulse Nigeria. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
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