Gana rejects SDP’s endorsement for Buhari

Prof. Jerry Gana, who has continued to fight for the presidential candidacy of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has distanced himself from the adoption of President Muhammadu Buhari for the coming election. Prof. Gana, who reacted Friday through the Director General of the Professor Jerry Gana Campaign organization (G19), Ike Neliaku, said the sale of […]

Prof. Jerry Gana, who has continued to fight for the presidential candidacy of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has distanced himself from the adoption of President Muhammadu Buhari for the coming election.

Prof. Gana, who reacted Friday through the Director General of the Professor Jerry Gana Campaign organization (G19), Ike Neliaku, said the sale of SDP presidential ticket was an act of dubiousity, gree and fraudulent representation.

He said the pronouncement had put the party in a political mudslide that not only put the party in bad light but was injurious to all other SDP Candidates standing election on the platform of the party.

He said, “On recent happenings within our party, the Social Democratic Party, we are therefore compelled to once again reach out to you and millions of Nigerians who are shocked by the pronouncement of yesterday by some renegade members of our Party, the SDP, under the guise of a National Executive Committee (NEC) purportedly met in Abuja and resolved to adopt the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as its consensus candidate in the forthcoming presidential election.

“We wish to categorically condemn and dissociate ourselves from this unfortunate, retrogressive, outrageous, unjust, mercantilist, disgraceful betrayal of trust and antiparty activity led by a small faction loyal to the running mate to Donald Duke, Alhaji Shehu Gabam. Their pronouncement puts the party in a political mudslide that not only put the party in bad light but is injurious to all other SDP Candidates standing election on the platform of the party. This repulsive duplicity is unacceptable to our Campaign Team, our supporters and millions of esteemed SDP members whose voices we represent and on whose mandate this statement is issued.

“We note that majority of authentic and principled NEC members were not invited to the said meeting; while some that were invited boycotted the meeting. Likewise, hirelings were recruited to bear the identities of genuine NEC members, who, though were invited but chose not to be a part of their envisaged insidious plot packaged in a desperate bid to create a perception of acceptability so as to enhance the value of their merchandise and ultimately increase the revenue of their transaction.”

Neliaku added, “The general public must not be deceived, as this has nothing to do neither with the principles and values of the SDP, and accordingly could not have been “in the best interest of the Party”. We like to place on record, that instead, this sordid outcome represents the final manifestation of a long drawn sword of conspiracy; designed, employed and executed from the beginning by some evil gate keepers within and outside the Party, to manipulate the process of our national convention, circumvent our Party Constitution and ensure that the most credible and promising presidential candidate, Prof. Jerry Gana never emerged on the SDP for the 2019 election.

“We use this medium to call on all SDP members, supporters and advocates to take a definite stand against this totally unacceptable precedence. While we await the judgment of the Supreme Court, we will continue to maintain our single focus and keep hope alive. May we take this opportunity to positively and very strongly encourage all our candidates for various political offices to vigorously continue with their campaigns. We urge you to competently transcend the negative effect of the so-called adoption of another presidential candidate at variance with the expectations of your supporters.

“To further encourage you Prof. Jerry Gana, in consultation with other leaders, candidates and stakeholders, has decided to convene a Stakeholders Conference for Monday, February 11, 2019 at Abuja. This strategic Conference will give us the opportunity to exchange views and adopt strategies to help us triumph over the toxic announcement by a renegade faction. We believe that our candidates standing for elections have the capacities to mobilize, plan and organize to win in elections in their various constituencies and we intend to give them appropriate support.”