SDP expels Jerry Gana, suspends Donald Duke

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Tuesday expelled its presidential aspirant Jerry Gana and suspended its presidential candidate Donald Duke, party’s Yemi Akinbode told newsmen in Abuja.

Akinbode also stated that SDP’s national chairman Supo Shonibare was also suspended with immediate effect.

The party’s spokesman said Gana and Shonibare were expelled for engaging in anti-party activities.

He alleged that Shonibare was the arrowhead of a splinter group, while Gana was accused of setting up a parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) in the party.

Akinbode said Donald Duke’s suspension for criticising the party’s activities after the primary elections.

The former governor of Cross River State insisted that he remained the presidential candidate of the party after it endorsed All Progressives Congress’s President Muhammadu Buhari.

Hitherto, both Gana and Duke had been fighting for the right to represent SDP in the February 16 poll.

The party had declared Duke as the winner of a primary election held on October 16, 2018, and its flag bearer for the 2019 presidential election.

SDP said Duke polled 812 votes, while Gana had 611.

But an FCT High Court in Maitama had declared a former Nigeria information minister Jerry Gana as the winner of the presidential primary election of the party in October 2018.