Donald Duke picks a medical doctor as running mate

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Donald Duke, has picked Junaid Mohammed as his running mate for the 2019 elections.

“The Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Mr Donald Duke, in consultation with the Party have chosen Dr Junaid Mohammed as his running- mate in the Presidential election 2019,” the former Cross River governor said on Monday.

Mohammed, a trained medical doctor at the Kharkov Medical Institute (located in the then USSR, but now in Ukraine) with First Class Honours with distinction in all subjects, was a member of the House of Representatives 1979- 1984.

Duke said that the nomination of Mohammed “brings to the SDP presidential ticket, geopolitical reach and acceptance, and in-depth the knowledge of Nigerian politics.”

On Sunday, in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Duke said the challenges facing the nation originated from its productivity index which he said was ‘absolutely dismal’

He said there is a need to create jobs for the people, as well as an environment where citizens can do things for themselves.

He disclosed that this would be one of the major priorities of his administration if elected president, noting that job creation required an emergency approach.

“Maximum of 36 months,” he said the job would take. “This is a nation that flares until recently 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas – that is equivalent to about 25 million litres of diesel.”