INEC releases nomination forms to Gana

   Following the directive of the court, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released fresh nomination forms to Prof. Jerry Gana, who was declared the presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP).

   Gana has confirmed receiving the forms while the party also confirmed receiving the court’s judgement which overturned the candidacy of ex-governor Donald Duke. Gana who was at the party’s secretariat, urged the leadership to complete his nomination process in line with the court order. “Arising from the court ruling, the INEC has been directed that you ensure that the processes of my nomination are put in place. “Therefore, they (INEC) have given us the forms, we have completed them, and the forms are supposed to be directed back to INEC through you.

  “I like to take this opportunity to say that by the grace of God the candidate of your party will be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said. The party’s Deputy National Chairman, Dr Abdul Isiaq, received Gana who paid a courtesy visit to the party national secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja. The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja had last Friday declared Gana as the rightful Candidate of SDP in the 2019 election. The party had earlier declared former Governor of Cross River, Mr Donald Duke, as its flag bearer for the 2019 General Elections.

   The party declared Duke as winner of its primary election; that he polled 812 votes while Gana had 611. However, Gana went to court seeking that it should declare him the winner in line with the zoning and rotation formula of the party’s constitution. In his judgement, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf held that the regulations contained in the party’s constitution were binding on every member and must be obeyed. He held that the zoning and rotation formula as contained in the party’s constitution stipulated that both the chairman of the party and the flag bearer should not come from the same zone.

   Isiaq said that the party would comply with the court directive. “As a party we have received the judgment from the High Court. “This party like you know is a very disciplined party and you will not find impunity in the process of our party. By so doing whatever the court say is what the party will comply with.” The deputy national chairman said that the party would do the needful on Gana’s request to approve his policy document to enable him to launch his campaign.

NAN