The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division has reserved judgment in the appeal proceedings seeking to set aside the verdict of an FCT High Court which declared the former information minister, Professor Jerry Gana, winner of the presidential primary election of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) conducted on October 6.
A three-man panel of justices of the appellate court led by justice Abdul Aboki adjourned for judgment after both parties adopted their written addresses.
The panel also struck out a motion filed by Duke asking the court to restrain Gana from parading himself as presidential candidate of SDP and said the court will notify the parties on the date for judgment when fixed.
An FCT High Court had earlier declared Duke’s votes null and void, and ordered SDP to forward Gana’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the party’s flag bearer for the 2019 presidential election.
It held that Duke’s participation in the election ran contrary to the zoning formula as contained in the party’s constitution to the effect that both the chairman of the party and the flag bearer should not come from the same geopolitical zone.
