>
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Preogressves Congress (APC) as its consensus candidate for the presidential election coming up February 16.
The party made the decision on Thursday during its national executive council meeting in Abuja, but explained that the adoption does not mean that it had merged with the APC.
The development means the party no longer recognises former Cross River Governor, Donald Duke, as its presidential candidate.
Duke was declared the presidential candidate of the party in January following a ruling by the court of appeal in Abuja which set aside the judgment of an Abuja high court declaring Prof Jerry Gana, former information minister, as the party’s presidential flagbearer.
Duke left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2018 to pursue his presidential ambitions on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Recall that the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in January, similarly endorsed Buhari after Oby Ezekwesili, its flagbearer, withdrew from the race.