The crisis within the Social Democratic Party (SDP) took a fresh turn on Friday as the Adamawa State chapter of the party distanced itself from the decision of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the candidate to support in the February 16 election.
The state chairman of the SDP, Mr John Muva, who addressed newsmen in Yola on the subject, said members of the party in the state will not vote for Buhari come February 16, contrary to the spirit of SDP NEC’s endorsement.
The NEC of the SDP in Abuja had on Thursday, stated that following the “lingering legal battle” between the winner of the SDP presidential primaries, Donald Duke, and his major challenger, Jerry Gana, the SDP would be adopting Buhari as its favoured presidential candidate.
At its press briefing on Friday, however, the Adamawa SDP chairman said the uncertainty over the party’s presidential candidacy is not enough reason to mix up the loyalty of party members during the general election.
Muva said, “We are not part of that endorsement and we were not a part of the meeting held in Abuja to decide that endorsement. We respect the rule of law and the constitution of the Social Democratic Parry, but the differences between Donald Duke and Jerry Gana cannot put our state chapter in jeopardy. We are not part of that endorsement.”
He added that in Adamawa State SDP members would not be thinking of supporting either Buhari or Atiku (of the Peoples Democratic Party) for the presidency but would be focusing on the state SDP governorship candidate, Emmanuel Bello, as well as other party candidates at the different levels.
“We won’t mix things up in Adamawa State. We can’t do SDP for National Assembly election, Buhari’s party in presidential election, and SDP in other elections. It is SDP top to bottom,” Muva said.
The SDP rates high, after the ruling APC and main opposition PDP and possibly the African Democratic Congress (ADC, with Sen Abdulaziz Nyako as governorship candidate), as party likely to do well in the coming governorship election in Adamawa State.
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