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Tag: donald duke

  • 2019: SDP confirms Junaid’s exit, names new running mate to Donald Duke

    2019: SDP confirms Junaid’s exit, names new running mate to Donald Duke

    The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has formalised the substitution of its 2019 Presidential Candidate’s running mate, Dr Mohammed Junaid with Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, who is also the National Secretary of the party.

    SDP National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Mohammed, who gave the confirmation on Thursday in Abuja, said that the substitution was done long ago.

    He said that Junaid’s substitution was subjected to deliberation at the party’s leadership level which he was a member.

    Mohammed said the consensus was that Junaid should step down as running mate to the SDP Presidential Candidate, Donald Duke, for strategic reasons.

    “Hence, as a genuine party man, he voluntarily stepped down and thereafter signed all the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) forms required to perfect the substitution process.

    “He remains one of our highly respected leaders the party is proud to have.

    “Meanwhile, the substitution which was done long ago now has Shehu Musa Gabam from the North East as our vice presidential candidate,” he said.

  • 2019: Tough time for Donald Duke as running mate quits, resigns as SDP vice chair

    2019: Tough time for Donald Duke as running mate quits, resigns as SDP vice chair

    Dr. Junaid Mohammed, running mate of the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr. Donald Duke, has stepped down his vice presidential ambition.

    Junaid, who is one of the fiercest critics of President Muhammadu Buhari, said he decided to step down because of the “many hassles of the SDP.”

    He said he also stepped down as the deputy national chairman of the SDP and had written letters to the chairman of the party, Chief Olu Falae; and Duke.

    Junaid said, “It is true. I stepped down a while ago because of the many hassles.

    “I also resigned as deputy national chairman. I have written to Chief Olu Falae and Mr. Donald Duke. However, I have not resigned from the party.”

    When asked if he would be supporting President Muhammadu Buhari to ‘take Nigeria to the next level’, Junaid laughingly responded, “You know I will never do such.”

  • 2019: Jerry Gana rejects Donald Duke’s emergence as SDP presidential candidate

    2019: Jerry Gana rejects Donald Duke’s emergence as SDP presidential candidate

    A former minister of information, Jerry Gana, on Thursday, called for review of the presidential primary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in which he was defeated by a former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke.
    Duke polled 812 votes to defeat Mr Gana who polled 611 votes at the primary held during the party’s national convention at Old Parade Ground, Abuja.
    But Mr Gana said he should be declared the candidate of the party because Mr Duke was not qualified to contest for the ticket of the party, having been zoned to the northern part of the country.
    In a statement by the director-general of his campaign organisation, Ike Neliaku, Mr Gana said the presidential ticket should have been zoned and rotated to the North.
    ”While the process was in progress, we drew the attention of some party leaders to the fact that the presidential ticket was constitutionally zoned to the North,” Mr Neliaku stated.
    ”Therefore, aspirants from the South should have been accordingly advised. Sadly, this matter of zoning was ignored.” he added.
    Neliaku also said the Amended SDP 2018 Constitution states the principles of rotation and zoning of offices.
    ”The Party shall adhere to the principle of Zoning and Rotation of Political Offices based on the principles of inclusiveness, justice, equity and fairness to all. The Party therefore shall observe the following: The office of the President and National Chairman of the Party shall rotate between the South and North and amongst the six (6 geopolitical zones),” he stated.
    He noted that since the the National Chairman of the SDP hails from the South, the presidential candidate ought to have been restricted to aspirants from the North.
    ”Since the National Chairman of our Party, Chief Olu Falae GCON, CFR, is from the South, it follows logically that in accordance with the tenets of our party, the letter and spirit of our Constitution; the contest for the Presidential candidacy of the Party ought to have been restricted to aspirants from the North. So our advise which was ignored, was not merely wishful thinking, but a weighty constitutional matter,” he said.
    ”In the light of the above, it is patently clear that in accordance with the SDP Constitution, Mr. Donald Duke did not meet the condition precedent for participating in the presidential primary of the Party in the first place. This singular constitutional provision clearly disqualifies Mr. Duke from the contest.
    ”Accordingly, our candidate, Professor Jerry Gana, being the candidate from the North that scored the highest lawful votes, should be returned as the candidate of the party for the 2019 presidential election.”
    In its reaction, however, the party said it would address the complaints to ensure that the matter does not degenerate to the extent of jeopardising the confidence of Nigerians in SDP as the alternative party in the forthcoming 2019 general election.
    In a statement signed by the party’s national publicity secretary, Alfa Mohammed, the party said it holds Mr Gana in very high esteem and would continue to treat him with utmost respect as a senior stakeholder and one of the father figures in the party.
    ”The attention of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party, SDP has been drawn to the grievances expressed by one of its presidential aspirants in the just concluded presidential primary election, Prof.Jerry Gana, at a press conference addressed by the DG of his campaign organisation, Ike. Neliaku.
    ”Consequently, we consider it imperative to state categorically that the National Headquarter of SDP has received a petition filed by the aspirant, and the presidential primary election appeal panel has commenced sitting on the appeal with the view to studying the grounds of the appeal and making necessary decisions.
    ”Similarly, being an internal party affair, the conflict resolution mechanism of the party is also being put into effect to ensure that the matter does not degenerate to the extent of jeopardising the confidence reposed in it by Nigerians as the alternative party in the forthcoming 2019 general election.
    ”The party holds Professor Jerry Gana to a very high esteem and would continue to treat him with utmost respect as a senior stakeholder and one of the father figures in the party.
    ”Be that as it may, it urges all its members across the globe; as well as the concerned members of the public to be calm and be rest assured that the matter will be resolved internally without delay and the party will come out stronger from it.
    “We thank all those who have called to either express concern or solidarity with the party,” the party spokesperson stated.

  • 2019: Donald Duke emerges SDP presidential candidate

    Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, has emerged as the Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party for the 2019 general election.

    Duke polled 812 votes to defeat his close rival, former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, who polled 611 votes at the party’s National Convention held at Old Parade Ground, Abuja.

    The Convention Returning Officer, Dr Abdul Isiaq, declaring the results of the presidential primary election at the early hours of Sunday, said Mr. John Dara, former Special Assistant to Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, former Defence Minister, scored 104 votes.

    He also announced that former Ambassador and former Minister, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher
    polled 72 votes; former Ambassador, Felix Osakwe scored 10 votes, while the number of invalid votes was 63.

    Duke in his acceptance speech, described his emergence as a collective victory for all aspirants that participated in the contest, as well for the party and the nation.

    He said that primary was just a step in the contest, saying he will go through the nation to campaign and sell the party and it’s policies to citizens.

    Duke called for the support of all aspirants, the party officials and Nigerians to win 2019 general election, saying “we will reawaken in Nigerians that yearning that we are destined to be, but we cannot do this alone.”

    He said that Nigeria was not a divided nation but a country of common purpose.

    “What divides us is inadequacy and wants, because in the face of this survival of the fittest comes in, which ought not to be so because there is more than enough for everyone.”

    He said if Nigerians were productive and abide by rules and regulations, the nation would grow from strength to strength.

    “This is what good governance is all about and that is what I stand for”.

     

  • Kudos, knocks as ex-Gov Donald Duke ‘run errand’ for wife

    Social media has been abuzz with reactions of Nigerians over the pictures former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke shared of himself allegedly running errands for his wife, Onari.

    The handsome politician shared the photos on his Twitter handle and captioned it; “When Madam hands you a list and sends you on a quick errand to the market, what do you do? You get up and go!”

    However Nigerians have reacted in various ways to the pictures. While some gave him hard knocks, others imply hailed him for being a responsible husband.

     

     

    Read the comments below

    @Segun: Oga, this one is not Market nah ???

    @Khen:Good example of a responsible africa man.

    @Sola:You shop quickly and get back to madam. No time to post pictures. The good thing here is that you’re not frying akara and roasting corn by roadside in the pictures. Let us hear you.

     

    @Obumeme: True true… Election season is upon us

    @Mike: Nice shopping my governor emeritus and aspirant President. Just fulfil the list for madam sir

    @Mazanbaba: Me just dey here dey wait to see when madam go send you go buy roasted corn sha.

     

     

  • New breed political forces hold Nigeria intervention summit; Soyinka, Ezekwesili, Utomi, Duke, others in attendance

    Nigeria Intervention Movement (NiM), a Rainbow Coalition of new breed political forces and movements; mobilising towards paradigm shift within Nigeria’s political configuration, has announce that its grand national summit scheduled to hold on Wednesday in Abuja has received a major boost.

    NiM said the grand national summit received the major boost at the weekend from eminent national leaders and front line political activists invited to intervene in the political future of Nigeria at the summit.

    According to a statement issued by Mallam Naseer Kura on behalf of the Summit Organising Committee on Sunday in Abuja, the historic event has received nod from Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, eminent Jurist, Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (Rtd), Colonel Abubarkar Umar Dangiwa, Mr Donald Duke, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Waba Senator Shehu Sanni, Dr Olu Agunloye among other senior citizens and leaders of thought across the six geo political zones, who have agreed to address the country at the Grand National Summit.

    According to Kura, the Summit Spokesperson, key among those who are still being expected to send in their address to the summit Secretariat on Sunday are Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Gen TY Danjuma, Dr Paul Unongo, Chief Edwin Clark, among other leaders of thought already invited to address the Nation at the historic national convergence, which is designed to bring together both old and new generation of political leaders in Nigeria, for the first time, towards finding an appropriate political road map for Nigeria’s troubled democracy, while facilitating a grand political coalition of fresh breed political leaders ahead of the 2019 elections.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, these elders and leaders, given their experience in the political affairs of the country as well as their past roles in the life of the country, at one point or the other, have been invited to address Nigeria’s past, in order to provide a veritable political compass for emerging fresh breed leaders in navigating the future for the country.

    “The grand summit, which starts at 10am on Wednesday, promises to be a very fertile ground to breed national understanding and reconciliation is also conceived as a serious intervention to re set the future of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy which presently skewed against the majority of Nigerians, as many young emerging political leaders will be provided the rare opportunity to interact and share their aspirations with the invited political veterans at the national confab.

    “Some of the burning issues rocking the political fabric of country to be agreed and sorted, once and for all, at the summit, holding at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja is; Inclusive democratic review of the Nigerian Constitution, Referendum, equitable political structure for Nigeria, popular democratic system of government suitable for the country, Sovereignty of the Nigerian Peoples, Peoples’ Right to self determination, 2019 general elections and the options for masses, among others,” the statement read.

    The event which will be co-chaired by Dr Olisa Agbakoba SAN & Dr Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa is expected to come out with communiqué on the future of Nigeria with the theme: birthing an equitable and prosperous democratic Nigeria at a special interactive session with media Editors on Thursday.

    Some of the young aspiring leaders who are invited to the Summit include, political aspirants like, Mr Fela Durotoye, Mr Kingsley Moghalu, Dr Chris Nwaokobia, Mallam Adamu Dauda, Mr Jaye Gaskia, Mr Omoyele Sowore, Ms Toyosi Akerele, Mr Abayomi Mighty, among other 35 young leaders aspiring to lead the country in various capacities.

     

  • Donald Duke says his presidential ambition still intact

    Former Governor of Cross River State Donald Duke has said he had not backed down on his presidential ambition.

    Duke, who made the statement in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday, said the speculations that he had dumped the aspiration were untrue.

    The former governor said he had not officially declared for the number one seat in the country for strategic reasons.

    “Sometime ago, I said I will run for the presidency of the country if the opportunity presented itself.

    “Yes, my presidential ambition is still intact, I am only waiting for the opportunity to present itself to make the right move,’’ he said.

    Asked on what platform he would run, especially as he was a member of Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), he said it was too early to decide.

    He, however, said he was still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

  • 2019: My presidential ambition still intact — Donald Duke

    A former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, on Tuesday said he had not backed down on his presidential ambition.

    Duke made the statement in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said the speculations that he had dumped the aspiration were untrue.

    Duke said he had not officially declared for the number one seat in the country for strategic reasons.

    “Sometime ago, I said I will run for the presidency of the country if the opportunity presented itself.

    “Yes, my presidential ambition is still intact, I am only waiting for the opportunity to present itself to make the right move,’’ he said.

    Asked on what platform he would run, especially as he was a member of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s inspired “Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM)’’ , he said it was too early to decide.

    He, however, said he was still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “I am still a member of the PDP, at the same time a member of the coalition which is not a political party.

    “The coalition will definitely align with a political party to achieve its goals, otherwise it will make no sense.

    “I can’t say yet the platform on which I will run if the opportunity presents itself. We are still watching and will take the right step at the right time,’’ he said.

    On the spate of abductions and killings in some parts of the country, Mr. Duke described the situation as disturbing.

    He urged the relevant authorities to confront the problem head-on for the peace and stability of the nation.

  • Donald Duke juxtaposes Shagari’s presidency to present administrations

    The former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, has said governments at all levels in the federation are not spending enough on her citizens.

    The Cross River former governor stated this in his keynote address at the 3rd Mike Omotosho annual lecture that held today in Abuja.

    “Between 1979 and 1983, President Shagari spent an average of $25 billion for 90 million people, today its $23 billion for a population of over 180 million people. We are not spending enough on the people,” Duke said.

    He went further to say that the leadership of present administrations “aspire for the things of other countries”, stressing “but you’re not concerned about your own country”.

    Expounding on the theme of the lecture, Duke asserted that “Millennials are technologically sound”, and charged they should take over the mantle of leadership”.

    “Millennials, nobody’s going to hand over authority to you. You’ve got to grab it,” he stated.

    Speaking on if Nigeria is a failed state, he said, “I don’t know what the definition of a failed state is; but a country that cannot provide for her people is failing”.

    TheNewsGuru reports the 3rd Mike Omotosho annual lecture was themed “Millennials as protagonists for nation building”.

    In attendance were Dr. Mike Omotosho, who is presently the Labour Party national chairman, his wife, Dr. Sisi Omotosho.

    Also in attendance were the Senior Special Assistant to the Kebbi State Governor, Aisha Augie-Kuta and Former Governor, Cross River, Donald Duke, who was the keynote speaker.

     

  • Chevron boss, Sola Adebawo, Donald Duke, others for NECCI PR roundtable

    The Executive Director, Communication, Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Sola Adebawo is among the seasoned professionals lined up to lead discussions at the 2017 edition of the NECCI PR roundtable coming up on October 26 at The Four Point Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Also lined up for discussions at the 17th of the NECCI PR roundtable are former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke, Chief Executive Office of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyeama, Senior Special Adviser on Trade and Investment to President Muhammadu Buhari, Jumoke Oduwole and several other seasoned professionals.

    Tagged ‘The New Frontiers of Investor Relations- Access and Opportunities,’ the roundtable seeks to use corporate communication strategies in exploring new economic opportunities in Nigeria.

    According to the Convener of NECCI PR, Mrs. Nkechi Alli-Balogun, the 2017 edition will confront burning issues like workable ways of attracting investors to Nigeria, coming out of economic recession.

    The programme will also highlight the roles of government, investors and public relations practitioners in creating a business environment.