Court Declares Jerry Gana as SDP presidential candidate, sacks Donald Duke

Earlier today, an FCT High Court in Maitama declared a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, the winner of the presidential primary election of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) conducted on October 6.

The party had declared a former governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke, the winner of the election and its flag bearer for the 2019 presidential election.

The party said Mr Duke polled 812 votes while Mr Gana had 611.

However, Mr Gana went to court seeking to be declared the winner in line with the zoning and rotation formula of the party’s constitution.

As reported by Premium Times,  Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf in his judgment held that the regulations contained in the party’s constitution were binding on every member and must be obeyed.

He held that the zoning and rotation formula as contained in the party’s constitution stipulated that both the chairman of the party and the flag bearer should not come from the same zone.

“In this instance, the party’s Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, is from the South and Duke is from the South too; the law is clear; there is nothing to write in-between.

“The law has crystallised that political parties should abide by the regulations which they have made by themselves.

“The claimant laid sufficient evidence to have the judgment in his favour; it is a clear violation of the party’s constitution; the court cannot wave right over illegality,” he held.

The judge, therefore, declared Mr Gana the winner of SDP presidential primary election conducted on October 6.