SDP Dissociates The Party From The Endorsement Of Atiku

The Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Social
Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, has distanced the party
from the claim that it was among the opposition parties that have chosen
the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, as
their consensus candidate in the forthcoming 2019 Presidential
election.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had
disclosed on Wednesday that all 45 parties in the coalition had agreed
to choose Atiku as their consensus candidate for the election of the
number one citizen of the country next year.

But the SDP in a
statement signed by Hagher, said the party is not part of the purported
endorsement of the PDP presidential flagbearer for the election.

“The
attention of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its Presidential
Campaign Organisation has been drawn to the purported endorsement of the
PDP presidential Candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the consensus
candidate of the Nigerian opposition parties for the 2019 presidential
election. We hereby state unequivocally that the SDP is not a party to
this arrangement.
“Although, we were initially part of the CUPP, the
understanding was that each member party having elected its presidential
candidate would then sit in a committee to select a consensus
presidential candidate, running mate and other officers of the campaign
committee.

“Contrary to this spirit of understanding, one of the
political parties elected its presidential candidate, and without
consulting the CUPP, went ahead to nominate its running mate and indeed,
all other officers of their campaign organisation.

“This not only negated the understanding between the parties but also abrogated the agreement itself.”

However,
SDP urged its members and the general public who have made up their
minds to “vote for the SDP candidate as the next president of Nigeria to
stay true to their convictions about Donald Duke and the SDP as the
best options to take Nigeria out of its present situation and restore
the glory of our great country.”

Source:- Thisdaylive