Court nullifies Donald Duke, declares Jerry Gana as SDP presidential Candidate

A federal capital territory  high court has declared a former minister of information, Jerry Gana as the winner of the October 6 presidential primary poll of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The party had declared Donald Duke, a former governor of Cross River state, the winner of the presidential primaries saying he defeated Gana by  812 to 611 votes.

But the former minister challenged the result and asked the court to declare him winner of the poll in line with the party’s zoning formula.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Hussein Baba-Yusuf,  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 ruled. 
Justice Habba-Yusuf therefore declared Gana the winner of the SDP presidential primary election. 

Ademola Adejuwon

Written by BoomRadioNG