He also gave a 24-hour ultimatum for the resignation of Shehu Gabam, the party’s National Secretary, and the running mate of Donald Duke.
The youth wing of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has given an ultimatum of 24 hours within which the party is expected to send the name of Jerry Gana, a former senator to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the presidential candidate of the party.
Nwanka Stanley, National Youth Leader of the party, said this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
He also gave a 24-hour ultimatum for the resignation of Shehu Gabam, the party’s National Secretary, and the running mate of Donald Duke.
He said this is in compliance with the party’s constitution.
The names of SDP presidential and vice-presidential candidates were not included in the list released by the electoral commission.
Donald Duke, a former Governor of Cross River State, and Gana had been in a tussle over the SDP presidential candidature. A court had ruled recently in Gana's favour.
Meanwhile, Gana has accused the SDP National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, and the party's National Secretary, Alhaji Gabam, that the “duo have a script other than the interest of the party, which they have manipulated thus far and would henceforth continue no more".
Speaking through Ike Neliaku, the Director General of the Professor Jerry Gana Presidential Campaign Team G19, Gana said: “It has now become very clear that the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Gabam, without recourse to other members of the NWC have continued to act as though the party is a private venture.
“I hereby state categorically that it has always been obvious, and we say so on good authority that the duo have a script other than the interest of the party, which they have manipulated thus far and would henceforth continue no more.
“Otherwise, how does one explain their stand on this matter, in spite of the fact that majority of NWC members, state chairmen and party faithful have continued to cry and shout across the country, insisting that Professor Gana’s name be submitted INEC; instead of subscribing to the demand of the majority, the duo have resorted to direct threats, intimidation and suspension of those who dare their actions.
“Given that our presidential candidacy is on the platform of the SDP we have resisted commenting publicly on these sordid manipulations, but we discovered that the more we keep quiet the more the public is misled into accepting lies as truth, minority as majority, thereby creating non-existing public perception.”