Whenever modern Calabar and Cross River State, in general, is mentioned, one name that readily comes to mind is Donald Duke. His exploits in the state not only reawaken consciousness about the one-time capital of Nigeria but also put the state and its capital on the world wap and made the location a permanent fixture for festivities.
His boyish looks, even at his current age, creates an impression of him being an aje butter, but this well-travelled Nigerian is reputed to be a stern and firm decision-maker.
So, who is Donald Duke, who launched what is said to be Africa’s biggest street party into existence and whose facial features have become a hotbed of controversy and propaganda in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election?
Donald Duke biography
Donald Etim Duke was born on September 30, 1961, to Henry Etim Duke and Genevieve Etim Duke in Calabar, present-day Cross River State. His father served as the Chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise duties (now known as Comptroller-General of Customs).
He had his elementary education at Corona School and Saint Mary’s School, both situated in Lagos State. He attended Federal Government colleges in Sokoto and Illorin, respectively, and subsequently went to the Federal School of Arts and Science in Lagos for his A-Levels. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Law (with honours) from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in 1982 and completed his legal education at the Nigerian Law School in Lagos. He was admitted to the Nigerian bar in 1983.
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A year after he was called to the bar, Duke proceeded to the University of Pennsylvania, one of the highest-regarded universities in the world, and subsequently bagged a Master of Laws (L.L.M.) degree in Business Law and Admiralty. He also undertook graduate courses at the Wharton Business School.
Career
Upon the completion of his Master’s programme, Duke was engaged by BakerHostetler, a law firm in Washington, DC, the US capital.
After working in the US for some time, the ABU-trained lawyer returned to Nigeria. He joined forces with a few colleagues to establish “Onyia & Duke”, a law firm situated in Lagos State. He worked at the law firm for a while until he took over the administration of his family’s shipping company and was subsequently named the Chief Executive of Hegeds International Limited.
Foray into politics
Duke became active in public service for the first time in 1991 when he was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Voice of Nigeria (VON). A year later, Clement Ebri, Governor of Cross River State, appointed him as the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and Planning. The appointment was, however, brief, following the dissolving of all political institutions by the military.
The Cross Riverian returned to the private sector and became the Chairman of Allied Merchants and Brokers Limited.
Election as Governor of Cross River State
Upon the country’s return to democracy in 1999, Duke decided to make a return to politics. He contested for the office of Governor of Cross River State under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 1999 General Election and won. He was inaugurated into office on May 29, 1999, and served two terms of eight years, which elapsed in 2007.
Governor Duke was vocal about the need for Nigerians to promote and protect their democratic system, arguing that the military had done nothing but brought chaos to the Nigerian state. He warned that if a democratic government is unable to provide thousands of people with food and other necessities of life, then democracy can be forgotten.
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Achievements
The most notable achievement of Duke while in office was the transformation of Cross River State to a tourism destination for local and international tourists, an action which has continued to receive wide applause from across the world. He initiated the Calabar Carnival in 2004 and has since grown to be the largest street celebration in Africa. According to Duke, his goal in starting the festival was to turn Cross River State into a hub for hospitality and tourism in Nigeria and Africa. It is currently Nigeria’s largest carnival and a celebration which has a global reputation.
He also transformed the Obudu Mountain Resort (previously called the Obudu Cattle Ranch), located about 45 miles from the border with Cameroon, into a sparkling holiday and tourist resort centre. In addition, he brought more attention to Obudu by establishing the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race. It is an annual mountain running competition that takes place in late November in Obudu and attracts several professional athletes and tourists alike.
The Tinapa Resort project was also the brainchild of Duke while in office as governor. It is a business and leisure resort located in the Calabar Municipality that contains a casino, digital cinema, children’s arcade, restaurants, a mini amphitheatre, a nightclub, pubs and shops
The revamping of Cross River State as a global destination hub has endeavoured the state to benefit from real investment inflow and led to job creation, achievements that the state continues to enjoy years after Duke’s administration.
He also reformed the state’s Civil Service, ensured the computerisation of the nominal and payroll system for the public service, and made the state’s agriculture sector more enterprising by facilitating export-oriented agricultural projects for the cultivation of such crops lines as pipe-apple, castor oil, cashew and oil palm.
Post-governorship moves and contest for Presidency
As his second term as governor was about to elapse, Duke announced that he would contest for the office of President in the 2007 general election. He, however, stepped down from the race and did not participate in the PDP’s primary.
In 2018, the former governor, once again, declared his intention to run for the highest political office in Nigeria, ahead of the 2019 General Election. This time, he left the PDP and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and clinched the party’s presidential ticket. He, however, lost the election to President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Duke returned to the PDP on June 14, 2021, after two years of defecting to SDP.
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Controversy
Duke became entangled in a controversy in the lead-up to the 2023 presidential election when he claimed that a picture purportedly used by the campaign organisation of Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, to identify him as a youngster was his.
According to Duke, the picture, which was featured in a documentary aired on a popular Lagos-based television station, was a photograph of him taken when he was 12 years old at the Federal Government College, Sokoto.
However, following reports that the APC presidential candidate had, through the party’s presidential campaign council, apologised to Duke over the oversight, Bayo Onanuga, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, rebutted the reports.
Onanuga, in a statement in November 2022, stated that no member of the campaign council was given any approval by his principal to issue an apology to Duke.
Donald Duke net worth
His net worth is estimated at $1 million to $4 million.
Donald Duke family
Duke got married to Onari Duke in 1986. The couple first met while both studying law at ABU.
Married for over 30 years, the couple has three daughters: Xerona, Nella, and Dona.
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