Junaid Mohammed, has resigned as vice presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, according to a report.
On 22, October 2018 Donald Duke, the Presidential candidate of the SDP, announced Junaid Mohammad, from Kano State in the North West, as his running mate.
Junaid, who is a strong critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, said his decision to step down was because of the “many hassles of the SDP.”
“I also resigned as deputy national chairman. I have written to Chief Olu Falae and Mr. Donald Duke. However, I have not resigned from the party,” he said.
The National Publicity Secretary of the SDP, Alfa Mohammed, who gave the confirmation on Thursday in Abuja, said that the substitution had been in the works.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has formalized the substitution of its 2019 Presidential Candidate’s running mate, Dr Mohammed Junaid with Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, who is also the National Secretary of the party.
He said that Junaid’s substitution was subjected to deliberation at the party’s leadership level which he was a member.
Mohammed said the consensus was that Junaid should step down as running mate to the SDP Presidential Candidate, Donald Duke, for strategic reasons.
“Hence, as a genuine party man, he voluntarily stepped down and thereafter signed all the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) forms required to perfect the substitution process.
“He remains one of our highly respected leaders the party is proud to have.
“Meanwhile, the substitution which was done long ago now has Shehu Musa Gabam from the North East as our vice presidential candidate,” he said.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.