2019: SDP leaders continue rejection of Gana’s candidacy, shun his campaign launch

A former minister of information and recently pronounced presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Jerry Gana, on Saturday launched his 25-page policy document which he tagged SWIFT.

SWIFT stands for: Security re-engineering; Wealth creation; Infrastructure excellence and power supply; Fight against corruption and indiscipline; and Technology, education, and human development.

The National Chairman of the SDP, Chief Olu Falae, and many other notable leaders of the party were absent from the launch of the campaign which took place in Abuja.

Falae had in a statement on Friday explained that he would not be attending the launch as is the usual tradition because the SDP had challenged the court judgement which installed Gana.

Reading out his policy document, Gana promised to restructure Nigeria along political, social and economic lines, covering the structural, geographic, governmental and financial systems to ensure fairness, equity, and justice.

The former minister also promised to create jobs and boost the economy by building a factory in each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

He added, “We will identify and promote the production of highly demanded cash crops for exports thereby creating wealth for producers.

“We will establish one factory in each of the 774 local government areas based on local resources and competitive advantage- ‘Every LGA Counts Initiative’.

“Develop the country’s rich solid mineral resources across the federation-‘Every State Counts Initiative’”.

In the area of infrastructure, Gana promised that his government would partner with the private sector to build first-class superhighways connecting major cities such as Lagos and Abuja.

In the area of fighting corruption, Gana said he would, “promote the understanding and full compliance of the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to enable Nigerians to keep abreast with the activities of government.”

Read also: ‘2019 election is all about integrity’- Akpabio

He also promised to plug all loopholes, ensure full implementation of the Treasury Single Account and develop a robust and sustainable post-retirement reward system for retired public servants as an incentive against corruption.

The former minister promised to review the law establishing the National Youth Service Corps in such a way that Nigerians in the Diaspora who study professional courses are encouraged to return home.

Following the launch, Gana spoke to the press about the crisis rocking his party and the possibility of picking Donald Duke as his running mate.

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had nullified the candidature of Duke as the presidential candidate of SDP, following a petition written by Gana on the basis of article 5 of the party’s constitution, which states that the president and the party’s national chairman shall not come from the same zone.

He said, “On January 5, we will be having a meeting with all the stakeholders across the nation, where they will take away the campaign programme and then thereby we will be everywhere.

“The party will definitely have a strategy for winning. I don’t mind at all having him as my running mate. But let us be very realistic. The South South has just completed the term of the presidency through president Goodluck Jonathan.

“If Nigerians are to be real they will know that it is too soon to have a presidential running mate from that zone. There are other zones that want to have the post. If we want to win the elections, the party will not do that except it wants to just play mere politics.

“I am not set out to do that. I want to win the election and take Nigerians with the programmes we have presented,” he said.

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