Donald Duke’s party SDP adopts Buhari as candidate

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate for the February 16, 2019 presidential election.

The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) took the decision at its ongoing meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

Former Governor of Criss River State, Donald Duke is the presidential candidate of the SDP, a position he recently retrieved, by a judgement of the Appeal Court, after a High Court had declared a former minister of information, Jerry Gana as the candidate of the party.

The party on Thursday, said the situation it has found itself following the outcome of its presidential primary election necessitated the adoption of President Buhari as its presidential candidate for the February 16, election.

A statement by SDP’s director of media and publicity, Yemi Akinbode, explained the reason the party adopted incumbent President Buhari, who is seeking re-election under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party in the statement also announced that it has suspended its national publicity secretary, Alfa Muhammad, over anti-party activities.

It said, “The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has resolved to adopt President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as candidates of our party for the 2019 presidential election.

“Members of the SDP are enjoined to vote for President Buhari at the presidential level only,” the statement read in part.

READ ALSO: Rivers APC asks INEC to postpone governorship election to allow for more campaign time

Noting that the decision was as a result of the “lingering legal battle” between Duke and Gana, Akinbode said that the party felt it was “imperative to technically withdraw from the presidential election and focus on the National Assembly, governorship and state assembly elections, for which we have fielded candidates across the country.”

He also said that the adoption was not a merger with the APC.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now