By Osaretin Osadebamwen
Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has proposed radical constitutional reforms that would abolish the House of Representatives, restructure the judiciary with 90-day case resolution deadlines.
He noted that this would reshape how the country is governed. He described the proposals as “imperative.”
He said it will target what he identifies as the twin cancers of Nigerian governance, a bloated and expensive legislature, and a judicial system so slow and unreliable that it actively repels foreign direct investments.
“Why do you need a system of legislature? You don’t need it. You can do it in the senate. You don’t need a house of representative,” Duke declared, calling political reform “absolutely imperative”. The proposal comes as Nigeria allocated 344.85 billion naira to the National Assembly for the 2026 fiscal year, fueling public anger over the cost of governance while essential services remain underfunded.
He proposes that judges should resolve cases from tribunal to Supreme Court within 90 days. “My thinking, I should get a job within 90 days. The politicians have done it for themselves. From the tribunal to the supreme court in six months,” Duke emphasised, accusing the political class of expediting their own cases while ordinary citizens and investors languish in long and windy legal journey.
Duke argues that Nigeria’s judicial dysfunction creates a vicious cycle that undermines foreign investment. Investors routinely insist on arbitration in London or Switzerland because they “don’t trust your system,” he noted, calling this “vexatious” and “an insult to the nation.
“You like our resources, but you don’t trust the system,” Duke said, warning that without judicial reform, Nigeria will remain trapped as a resource exporter unable to attract the productive investment needed for economic transformation. His position is supported by data showing that weak contract enforcement and lengthy court processes are “major constraints to foreign direct investment”.
Beyond institutional reform, Duke emphasizes the need for a fundamental shift in governance philosophy. He distinguished between “politics” and “governance,” insisting that after elections, the focus must shift to competent administration rather than political patronage.
“Each appointee of government has one credo: make sure you leave this place better than you met it,he stated
Advocating for cabinets of “doers and expert doers” rather than political appointees. He warned that “the politics is over. Now go to the governance”—a distinction he believes has been lost in contemporary Nigerian politics.
With Nigeria’s population projected to reach 400 million by 2050, Duke argues that the current governance model is simply unsustainable—and that only fundamental restructuring can prevent the country from sliding into deeper crisis.
