Five Weeks After Election, Supreme Court Declares Donald Duke SDP Presidential Candidate

The Supreme Court in Abuja on Friday upheld the Court of Appeal judgment declaring Donald Duke, as the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) presidential candidate.

The judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court presided over by Justices Ejembi Eko, Kudirat Kekere, Amiru Sanusi, Paul Galumje and Uwani Aji.

The court also awarded N3 million in favour of Duke.

Before the 2019 presidential election which had already been concluded since February 23, Duke had polled 812 votes to defeat his rival, Prof, Jerry Gana who polled 611 at the party’s primary that was held on Oct. 6, 2018

However, Gana was dissatisfied with the result. He approached an FCT High Court seeking to disqualify Duke as the party’s presidential candidate, and the request that was granted by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in December.

An FCT High Court had on Dec.14, 2018 declared Gana the winner of the party’s presidential primary and Duke had appealed the ruling and won.

While the Duke-Gana tussle went on, National Executive Council (NEC) of the SDP adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as its presidential candidate

The Appeal Court has now reinstated Duke as the SDP presidential flag bearer after overturning the ruling of the FCT High Court that disqualified him as the party’s flag bearer.