Former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, on Friday said he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to run for the office of president in the 2019 election because his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had “unconstitutionally” zoned political offices.

He said this in a series of tweets shortly after he submitted his nomination form at the SDP secretariat in Abuja on Friday.

Duke, who said his decision came after deep reflection and candid assessment of the Nigerian polity, condemned zoning of political offices, saying it remained unconstitutional.

The ex-governor further disagreed with those who say that only two political parties have the physical presence nationwide to win the presidency in a general election.

Duke said he hopes his participation would enrich the playing field and offer Nigerians wider options.

He tweeted: “Earlier this week, I made known my intention to join and run for the office of President on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). This afternoon I submitted my nomination forms to the party secretariat.

“This decision was arrived at after deep reflection and candid assessment of our polity. Firstly, my erstwhile party, the PDP has unconstitutionally zoned political offices.

“As rational as they may see it, it remains unconstitutional and there are not enough strong voices out there speaking up objectively. Besides, democracy is all about choice, how then do we limit the choices we have to some section of the country or the other?

“Can we under such aegis obtain the best? Nigeria can only be whole when the sum total of its parts are able to contest freely and at will for the highest office in the land.

“Some folks have espoused that only two parties have the physical presence nationwide to win the presidency in a general election. I disagree. Our fate as Nigerians should not be determined by two underperforming platforms, but rather by we ourselves.

“By joining the race on the platform of the SDP, I hope my participation enriches the playing field and offers Nigerians a wider berth of options other than a zero some playing field of either the APC or the PDP,” Duke said.

Source: http://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/09/2019-what-forced-me-out-of-pdp-donald.html

You raised some very salient and important points in your statement, especially with the zoning thing.

However, One would have expected you to have taken this up as a cause you truly stood for/against and make frantic noise about this anomaly in the past 19 years that you were a member of the said PDP.

I would have believed in you, seen you as one who stands for a cause and vigorously campaigned for you.

So, this is a quote I made at the end of my book in my siggy...

"By what time the battle is over and my time on earth is come to an end, I'd love to be remembered as one who saw, identified, believed in and fought for a cause that is just".

What cause have you taken upon you to see through folks...

Enjoy my siggy

Next!!!!!!

Go away oga, today you are pro gay tomorrow you are not. Just choose one, Nigerians will still not vote for you.

K

No sir, your joining SDP does not enrich the playing field, but divides the rank of all those who believe that Nigeria deserve better with their collective desire to free the country from the cabal holding her down and violently raping every facets of our institutions and values, while a clueless president looks on or make lame and pedestal excuses.

You lost out by joining sdp

PDP is a scam!

we hear

You neva wan talk true

This is Nigeria, no matter hard you try to make sense, ppl still sees it as nonsense...you can't win so long as you are not in PDP or APC... Sorry man.. Buh respect

Nice one Duke...Go for it!

just say for selfish interest. all politicians don't value us.

Bull crap!! It's your personal ambition and nothing more

I was forced out too. Now an independent aspirant. Nairalanders vote for me with likes and shares.
Thanks and God bless.

You should be campaigning for Vice presidency ticket Mr. Duke, I know you might have better agenda and be more competent than all the rest in PDP but the main issue is getting a formidable candidate which has the potentiality of kicking Buhari out which can only be achieved by getting a strong candidate from the north. I think Kwankwaso has that potential. Anyway wish you all the best in your political calculation.

Take heart

Wetin make u no condemn am when you dey enjoy power...selfish people everywhere

dude is spent he has no political value. He was obj's boy until he got dumped, he was jealous that they picked jonathan over him, now they are fooling him again

Oshopoliticians everywhere......

nwafresh:
This is Nigeria, no matter hard you try to make sense, ppl still sees it as nonsense...you can't win so long as you are not in PDP or APC... Sorry man.. Buh respect

Seconded
Funny enough, the same Nigerians expect a different result from the same set of people. Long way to freedom.

Freestyl:
PDP is a scam!

must you talk

Let see how things is going to unfold in this coming 2019 election, it going to be interesting and bloody especially with alot of cross carpeting we are having here and their.

yaksdavirus:
You should be campaigning for Vice presidency ticket Mr. Duke, I know you might have better agenda and be more competent than all the rest in PDP but the main issue is getting a formidable candidate which has the potentiality of kicking Buhari out which can only be achieved by getting a strong candidate from the north. I think Kwankwaso has that potential. Anyway wish you all the best in your political calculation.

God bless you sir, duke typifies the wisdomic words of Mahatma Ghandi "There is enough for everyone's NEED, but not enough for everyone's GREED"

However,self acclaimed non hausa muslims BIAFRAN slaves pigs abandoned YOU their kinsman to be kissing REV FATHER SARAKI,PASTOR KWANKWASO, EVANGELIST ATIKU,BISHOP MAKARFI ass ........




SORRY,DONALD DUKE......


the hausa fulani slavery legends,the biafran pigs have dissapointed and betrayed you.

Meanwhile,Don't be surprised or dissapointed,they did it for OJUKWU and NNAMDI KANU.

just see matters in the picture below,they betrayed NNAMDI KANU CONVENANTS AND TEACHINGS,so confused... THEY DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT NNAMDI KANU WHEREABOUTS AGAIN,......WHERE IS NO REFERENDUM NO ELECTION?

Dona

It has started earlier dan we predicted.....


Just wait a little bit and see more fight btw d 14 remaining power mongers, dat called themselves presidential aspirants.

D real fight btw pdp is yet to start......watch out

As long as our youth keep chanting Sai Baba
As long as our Youth don't know what it means to be a leader and not a ladder to political offices
As long as our youth like myself wail on social media to show their strength
As long as our youth still holds no strength to protest and for once tried their leaders in various constituencies by recalling
As long as our youth spend more time on women and men alike for the pleasure
As long as our youth don't know that they put out all their will and might to their Fathers and Grandfathers alike


We'll not get it right it's not a curse!

yomi96:
must you talk

A P C Is A Fraud On Steroids

nothing push u out of pdp apart from ur selfish interest

Kittex7:
Brother Donald...See what you've caused to yourself



Don't think about it anymore Goodluck Jonathan had used your ticket....Had it been you ve listened to obasanjo to be the vice president of Umaru musa Yaradua then you'd have become the president presiding over this nation since

Continue enjoying your monster bike in calabar @ calabo canival please

Take heart bro.... Do not waste your time and money

So OBJ wanted him to be VP to Yaradua?See wetin greed and inpatience dey do person?Too Bad..

Eliteklaus:
Go away oga, today you are pro gay tomorrow you are not. Just choose one, Nigerians will still not vote for you.

Is the bolded more important than good governance. I.e. security, infrastructure, affordable housing, healthcare, enabling business environment, access to business loans, etc. We should be guided by our real priorities.
Moreover, it is just his personal opinion.