Supreme Court upholds Donald Duke as SDP presidential candidate

The Supreme Court in Abuja on Friday upheld a ruling by the Court of Appeal which declared Donald Duke as the authentic presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Mr Duke was also awarded N3 million by the apex court.

Duke had emerged the party’s presidential candidate in the primaries held in October 2018 in which he defeated a former minister, Jerry Gana, by 812 votes to 611.

Gana then dragged Duke to an FCT High Court in Abuja on the grounds that the party’s zoning formula does not allow a presidential candidate to emerge from the same zone as chairman of the party.

The court on December 14, 2018 sacked Duke as SDP flag bearer and declared Gana as the rightful candidate of the party for February 16 presidential election which was later moved to February 23.

But the Court of Appeal in January then overturned the ruling of the FCT High Court and had duke reinstated