THE Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Social Democratic Party SDP, on Tuesday, accused the leadership of the Party of being responsible for the exclusion of Professor Jerry Gana’s name on the final list of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the Candidate of the Party ahead of the Presidential election.
Addressing news in Abuja on the development , the Director General of the Organisation, Dr Ike Neliaku, raised the alarm that rather than for the leadership of the Party to carry out the judgment of an FCT High Court, Abuja which recognised Professor Gana as the Party’s authentic Candidate, its leadership had been using delay tactics in order to deny him the opportunity.
The DG Stated that just immediately after the Court made the pronouncement, Gana met with the leadership of the Party for consultations on the next line of action and that both the Party’s National Chairman and the National Secretary, Chief Olu Falae and Alhaji Shehu Musa Gaban assured to act on it immediately but only developed cold feets shortly due to unknown reasons.
He lamented that the Campaign Organisation was Shocked when the leadership of the Party was now insisting that it was waiting for the outcome of an Appeal pending on the matter which it claimed would be delivered any time this week and wondered how it was sure that the judgment would be against Gana.
The DG then declared that, “it is our expectation that the credible leaders of the SDP and our teeming supporters, will rise and rescue this Party from the hands of traders, merchants and transactionalists ”, saying.” this is not about Prof. Jerry Gana, it is about right versus wrong, it is about the destiny of millions of Nigerians whose lives have been mismanaged.”
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This is coming just as the Youth wing of the Party gave the leadership of the Party a 24-hour ultimatum within which to submit the name of Gana as the Presidential Candidate of the Party in-line with FCT High court’s judgement until there is another superior judgement.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja a while ago, the National Youth leader, Comrade Sternly Nwanka vowed to do the needful in ensuring that the available court judgement was carried out to the letter.
The FCT High Court, Abuja, presided by Justice H B Yusuf had nullified the election of the former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr Donald Duke, as the Presidential Candidate of the Party in the election and directed the INEC to recognise Prof Gana as the authentic Candidate of the Party in a suit brought before him on the matter.
Consequently, the INEC obeyed the Court ruling by removing Duke’s name from its record but the leadership of the Party did not submit Gana’s name which prompted the Commission to publish the finalist without any Candidate for the Party.
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