A former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, has won the presidential ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after defeating Prof. Jerry Gana in the primary election.
The Returning Officer, Dr Abdul Isiaq, who declared the results of the presidential primary election held during SDP National Convention that took place at Old Parade Ground, Abuja, on Saturday, said Duke garnered 812 votes to defeat his close rival and former Minister of Information, Prof. Gana, who polled 611 votes.
Dr Isiaq said Mr John Dara, former Special Assistant to Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), scored 104 votes; former Ambassador and former Minister, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, 72 votes; former Ambassador, Felix Osakwe polled 10 votes, while the number of invalid votes was 63.
Duke, in his acceptance speech, said his emergence was a collective victory for the party, the country and all aspirants that participated in the primary.
He promised to tour the country to campaign and sell the SDP and its polices to citizens, saying “we will reawaken in Nigerians yearning what we are destined to be, but we cannot do this alone.”
In his remarks at the convention, the SDP National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, underscored the need to halt what he called the “disgraceful spread of political monetisation” in the country.
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who urged the politicians to give priority to welfare of the masses, said Nigeria needed to be rescued now as the “so-called major parties,” which had ruled Nigeria for nearly 20 years had failed the country.
