I won’t step down my campaign, delay in take-off won’t affect my Victory -Donald Duke

Duke, a former Governor of Cross River,  told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that his campaign would officially commence next week as he had been pronounced the bona-fide candidate of SDP by the Court of Appeal.

The court in Abuja on Thursday declared Duke the presidential candidate of SDP for the Feb. 16 Presidential Election.

A three-member panel, led by Justice Abdul Aboki, set aside the Dec. 14, 2018, judgment of a Federal Capital Territory High Court which declared Prof. Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information, the candidate of the party.

Duke said: “ I may have lost time over the proceedings but it will not in any way stall my progress or affect my victory at the polls.

“We have concluded arrangements to kick-start a very smart campaign that will reach the electorate across the nation.

“My campaign will not be a conventional one but it will be very effective.

“Nigerians are yearning for an alternative platform and we intend to position ourselves as that alternative that the people crave for.”

He urged all aggrieved members of the party to unite and work as one family to ensure victory for SDP and its candidates across the country.

Duke said SDP was working on bringing Gana fully back to its fold, adding that he (Duke) would have accepted defeat and worked with Gana if the judgment had not been in his favour as was earlier agreed by the party.

“Gana is mature and noble and am sure we will get through this to achieve the Nigeria of our dream,” he said.

The SDP presidential candidate said Nigeria needed something new that would give young people hope which was what he represented.