Court Sacks Gana, Validates Duke as SDP Presidential Candidate

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, January 24th, 2019

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Court of Appeal in Abuja has validated the candidature of a former Cross Rivers State Governor Donald Duke as the authentic Presidential candidate of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The appeal court panelists in a unanimous ruling Thursday set aside the judgment of an Abuja High Court, which had ruled recently that a former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana was the party’s Presidential flag bearer.

Duke contended that the outcome of the party’s Presidential primary indicated that he polled 812 votes while Prof. Gana recorded 611 votes.

Following the results, SDP sent Mr. Duke’s name to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, problem started when his rival, Prof. Gana rejected the result and subsequently approached court, contending that his rival emergence did not align with the SDP’s constitution which provides that the National Chairman of the party cannot come from the same geo-political zone with its Presidential aspirant.

INEC did not list SDP Presidential candidate in its first publication of the approved candidates contesting for various elective positions under different political parties.