Duke said Ita Giwa recently queried his gender and that in 2022, “she scoffed at a meeting I held at my residence to harmonize southern aspirants under the platform of the PDP, she was vexed she was not invited”.

However, according to Duke, hurling abuses or casting aspersions at Ita Giwa will betray his upbringing.

In a statement signed by Duke and obtained by our correspondent, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain narrated how he stood as next of kin when Ita Giwa had a breast implant, upliftment and liposuction.

He said, “On a personal note, I stood in as her person of contact when she did liposuction, breast implant and upliftment, so I consider her somewhat of an aunt, a next of kin.

“Contrarily, Mma Floxy has been known to be courtesan in her political and business dealings. All said, it will be a betrayal of my upbringing to be abusive or cast aspersions on such a personage. Politics should never be a platform that denigrates the ethos of respect to our elders.”

“In human interactions, two factors are sacrosanct, age and authority and even more so in the African context. On both counts, Mma Florence is my senior,” he said.

“Indeed, if she were family, she would qualify as my late 94-year-old mother’s immediate junior sister, as none of my aunties are anywhere near her age and I don’t take that lightly.

“I recall a former federal minister, telling me that when he started secondary school at Lagos in 1952, Mma Florence the same year commenced training as an auxiliary nurse at Aba. Indeed, Mma Floxy as I fondly and respectfully call her, had aspired and contested the Ms. Nigeria pageant, while I was still a foetus, (she contested in April 1961 and I was born much later in September of the same year).

“Earlier last year, she scoffed at a meeting I held at my residence to harmonize southern aspirants under the platform of the PDP, she was vexed she was not invited. I apologized to her, but made it clear she did not qualify to attend, as 1. She’s not a member of the PDP and 2, although she bears the honorific title of “Eka Iban”, in the strict sense, she’s neither Efik nor of southern Cross River origin. (She’s paternally from Atabong in Akwa Ibom State and maternally from Umuahia in Abia State).

“That notwithstanding, she has served Cross River State, her State of residence, diligently to the acknowledgment of all, Mma Floxy has also served Nigeria well. At the onset of the Nigerian civil war in 1967, when I was barely 6 years old, she was already serving at the front lines. She was one of the few brave ladies reverentially referred to as the ‘Commando Girls’ for their exploits and services in times of a national crisis.

“Thereafter, she’s been in the front lines of business and societal struggles, in Abuja, Lagos and of course Cross River State. Her resume in this regard is wholesome.

“She has represented Cross River State at the Federal House of Representatives and the Nigerian Senate. She has been a Special Adviser to the President and has diligently carried out several responsibilities most of which remain classified.

“Recently, she queried my gender, frankly, I’m pleased she’s not in a position to confirm as that would have been sacrilegious, but I am indeed a proud father of 3 biological children. On the issue of me being indigent prior to being elected governor, I needn’t remind her or anyone my pedigree and that I self sponsored my elections even at that time of political uncertainty.”

Indeed, in May 2022, Ita Giwa knocked Duke for not inviting her to the PDP meeting, saying, “When the destiny and political future of an entire ethnic nationality is to be deliberated upon, it requires that partisanship and chauvinistic sentiments be set aside. All shades of opinion and all tendencies have to be given the space to find expression.

“The recent so-called non partisan consultation convened by H.E Donald Duke ostensibly to deliberate on governorship power shift to the south and possibility of coming up with a consensus Governorship candidate might have been commendable but for the fact that it was clearly not all inclusive.

“How such an assembly can be called without my involvement and participation is downright insulting not just to my person but the Efik Kingdom of which I represent in my capacity as Mother of the women in the Kingdom.

“It also demonstrates utter disregard for the women of the Southern Senatorial Zone of who by the grace of God, I am a leading light of.

“Even as the matter can be said to be of a political nature, with all modesty I make bold to say I parade the most impressive political portfolio of all political actors in the zone.”

The post I stood as next of kin when Florence Ita Giwa had breast enlargement and Liposuction –Ex-Gov. Donald Duke appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

According to the United Nations, Boko Haram killed more than 100 civilians in an attack on farmers in Borno state on Saturday.

Speaking on Channels TV on Sunday, the former governor said there is a need to investigate the source of the insurgents’ arms and ammunition.

He said most of the weaponry used by Boko Haram come from military armoury. “Most of the weaponry used by Boko Haram come from our armoury. We will need to look into that. Why are we selling weapons to the enemy?” he asked.

Duke said there is a need for a “complete revamp of our security network” to avoid losing the country.

He said there should be police presence in every five kilometres, adding that their “presence is a deterrent”.

The ex-governor said graduates who can think like perpetrators of crime should be recruited into the force to improve intelligence gathering.

He asked the federal government to train and motivate policemen and soldiers fighting the insurgents.

“The level of people we bring into the force is a bit too low. Crime is a lot more sophisticated than that. We need people who can think alongside the perpetrators of the crime. We need to up the ante and train them and motivate them. There has to be an insurance scheme to look after them,” he said.

“Motivate the soldiers in the northeast. I think they are under-motivated. We need to task them on intelligence gathering. More of intelligence than firepower.

“On the other front, by now, we need to develop a strategy on kidnap. Are the police properly motivated? I doubt it, and they don’t have enough weaponry.”

The post Security operatives selling weapons to Boko Haram, says Donald Duke appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The court discharged its August 21 interim order which had permitted AMCON and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to seize Duke’s properties and funds in his accounts.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo cleared Duke following settlement terms filed and moved by AMCON’s legal team from Benson Reeds Legal Practitioners, Abuja.

AMCON counsel, Mrs Juliet Benson, told the judge that Duke had fulfilled the terms of the out-of-court settlement and both parties had agreed to the terms.

“I hereby pray the court to adopt the terms of settlement as the judgment of court,” Benson said.

Duke’s counsel, Edoigiawerie Omoruyi confirmed that his client had “shown good faith by promptly making the payment of over N350m which parties all agreed to.

“I join my colleagues in praying the court to enter our terms of settlement as the full and final judgment of court.”

In a bench ruling, Justice Oweibo upheld their prayers.

The judge added: “All orders in the case stands discharged.”

AMCON had on August 8 sealed off Duke’s Ikoyi home following the interim order.

Justice Oweibo, on September 3, upheld Duke’s prayer and adjourned till September yesterday, for a report of settlement, after Duke promised to pay off the debt.

Stonehedge Investment Ltd, Duke and his wife, Owanari Bob-Manuel Duke, were first to third defendants in the suit.

The post AMCON: Court clears Duke after N350m payment appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Chuka Obiozor, the judge who presided over the case also authorised AMCON and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to takeover Duke’s account in any bank in the interim.

Obiozor gave the order in a judgement delivered on August 8.

Stonehedge Investment Limited and Owanari Bob-Manuel Duke, his wife, were listed as first and third defendants in the suit.

In their application, AMCON had asked the court for possession and custody of the property which it claimed was listed as collateral for the first respondent’s debt “pending the institution and disposal of proceedings for recovery of debt against the respondent, pursuant to Section 49 of the AMCON Act 2010 (as amended)”..

The property is said to be No 3, Temple Road, Ikoyi in Lagos.

AMCON also asked the court for an interim injunction to takeover funds in the accounts of Duke and others in any bank “pending the institutional and disposal of proceedings for the recovery of a debt of N537,334,360.77 made up of the principal debt and interest against the respondents pursuant to Section 50 of AMCON Act 2010″.

The post AMCON gets order to take over Donald Duke’s property, bank accounts over N537m debt appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court presided over by Justices Ejembi Eko, Kudirat Kekere, Amiru Sanusi, Paul Galumje and Uwani Aji.

The court also awarded N3 million in favour of Duke.

The appellate court in January reinstated Duke as the SDP presidential flag bearer after overturning the ruling of the FCT High Court that disqualified him as the party’s flag bearer.

NAN reports that Duke had emerged winner of the party’s primaries conducted in October, after he polled 812 votes to defeat a former minister, Ghana, who closely followed with 611 votes.

But a judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, Hussein Baba-Yusuf, on Dec. 14, 2018, sacked Duke as the SDP flag bearer and declared Gana as the rightful candidate of the party in the forthcoming election.

Baba-Yusuf said the party’s zoning formula does not allow a presidential candidate to emerge from the same zone, as the chairman of the party.

The court ordered Gana to be recognised as the authentic flag bearer of the SDP presidential ticket in the 2019 election.

Duke, SDP’s national chairman, Olu Falae; the National Secretary, Shehu Gabam; the Chairman of the party’s Presidential Screening Panel/Deputy National Chairman South of the party, Tunde Adeniran, had approached the appeal court seeking an order to vacate the judgment of the lower court.

They had approached the court based on the grounds that Mr Duke secured a higher number of votes than Mr Gana at the primaries.

The post Supreme court upholds declaration of Donald Duke as SDP presidential candidate appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Duke said this in a statement on Friday in Lagos, while reacting to the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to withdraw from the election and adopt President Muhammadu Buhari as its preferred candidate.

“Regardless and for the avoidance of doubt, I Donald Duke, remain on the ballot and the candidate of the SDP as recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“This unfortunate saga is as a result of an aspirant who lost at the party primaries on Oct. 6, 2018, fair and square, does not query the conduct of the primaries but rather resorts to bigotry, querying my suitability to contest for the presidency on grounds that I come from the wrong part of the country.

“The Federal Court of Appeal has put this matter to rest. The office of president does not belong to any party and therefore not for a party to zone,” he said.

Duke identified internal management of party affairs as the bane of the nation’s democracy.
He said his decision to run for the presidency was to afford the electorate a credible alternative.

“My decision to run on an untainted political platform rather than on one which I was a founding member is grounded on a desire to afford our electorate and indeed our nation a clean break, options and alternatives to her current gladiators.

“For the SDP NEC to thereby endorse the APC or any other party, is rather unfortunate and betrays in my opinion, the desire of the vast majority of our party members and Nigerians credible alternatives to our nation’s leadership.

“I need not say more, suffice that I remain on the ballot and thereby still present myself as a candidate for the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Duke said.

The SDP NEC had on Thursday announced the party’s withdrawal from the presidential race while adopting Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, for the poll.
It explained that the decision was based on the protracted legal issue facing the party.

“We cannot campaign, we cannot do anything because of the protracted legal issue and we feel that it is impeccable to technically withdraw from the presidential election.

“We want to focus on the National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assemblies election for which we have fielded candidates across the country.

“We are therefore adopting Buhari, the APC Presidential candidate, as our preferred candidate for the Feb. 16 election,” it said.

The post I remain SDP presidential candidate – Duke appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The party made the decision on Thursday during its national executive council meeting in Abuja.

Buhari is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

SDP NEC, however, explained that the adoption does not herald a merger with the APC.
Prior to the development, Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River, was the flagbearer of the SDP.

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 Jerry Gana, former information minister, as the party’s presidential flagbearer.

Donlad Duke left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2018 to pursue his presidential ambitions on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Moshood “MKO” Abiola won the 1993 presidential election on the platform of the SDP. He was recently honoured with the first-ever posthumous GCFR in Nigeria history in 2018.

This was done by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) had also in January, endorsed Buhari’s re-election.

The party made the move after Oby Ezekwesili, its presidential candidate, withdrew from the race.

The post SDP dumps Duke, adopts Buhari as consensus candidate appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The appellate court set aside the judgement of an Abuja high court which declared Jerry Gana, former information minister, as the party’s presidential flagbearer.

The court also awarded N500,000 cost against Gana.

Duke had approached the court to reverse the decision of the lower court which held that he was not the authentic candidate of the party, having emerged from a process said “to be contrary to the party’s provision for the primary election.”

The three-man panel held that the application is illegal and unconstitutional, which ought not to have been entertained by the lower court.

The court held that the position of Gana in section 18 of the party’s amended constitution contravenes the electoral acts stipulation for the validity of a candidate in any election.

The court also held that the amendment relied upon by Gana did not take effect until October 8, 2018, two days after its ratification and the election of Duke as the party’s candidate was in line with section 222 of the electoral act.

An high court sitting in Abuja, had on December 14, 2018, declared Gana as the winner of the presidential primary election of the SDP.

Hussein Baba-Yusuf, the judge, had nullified the candidacy of Duke as the party’s flagbearer.

The post Gana loses as appeal court declares Duke SDP presidential candidate appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Falae, in a statement he issued in Abuja, said that doing so might amount to contempt of the court.

The chairman said that he had received a letter dated December 27 from Gana, seeking his (Falae’s) leave as SDP national chairman to “unveil the vision and programme” of his presidential campaign.

He said that Gana, in the letter, had also invited him as “chief host” at both the “unveiling” programme scheduled for Saturday December 29, and at the “Summit of stakeholders planned for Saturday, January 5, 2019.

He recalled that earlier correspondence from Gana made it clear that he based the proposals on the judgment of the FCT High Court dated December 14, 2018.

Falae said that the counsel of all the five defendants in the case (including SDP), Wole Olanipekun & Co., had already appealed to the Court of Appeal against that judgement.

“We have also, through our counsel, filed a motion at the Court of Appeal, praying for certain reliefs, including a stay of execution of the judgment of the High Court and injunctive reliefs against Prof. Jerry Gana, pending the determination of the appeal.

“All the relevant processes have been served on Prof. Jerry Gana’s counsel. In the light of the foregoing, we cannot and should not attend any of the events being scheduled by Prof. Jerry Gana and his campaign committee, as it will amount to a breach of the court process and may amount to contempt of court.

“I appeal to all party officials at all levels, leaders and members, to stay calm and refrain from participating in actions designed to pre-empt the courts. We must remain loyal to the party, which is more important than any of us. We are all one party and we are all united.”

The party had earlier declared former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, as its flag bearer for the 2019 General Elections.

The party declared Duke as winner of its primary election, having polled 812 votes, while Gana got 611.

Gana, however, went to court seeking that it should declare him the winner in line with the zoning and rotation formula of the party’s constitution.

The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja on Friday December 14, declared Gana as the rightful candidate of SDP in the 2019 election.

In his judgement, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf held that the regulations contained in the party’s constitution were binding on every member and must be obeyed.

The judge held that the zoning and rotation formula, as contained in the party’s constitution, stipulated that both the chairman of the party and the flag bearer should not come from the same zone.

It would be recalled that Gana, on December 19, paid courtesy visit to the party headquarters, calling on the SDP leadership to complete his nomination process with the Independent National Electoral Commission in line with the recent court order.

He also sought the party leaders’ approval of his campaign policy to enable him to begin his campaign.

The post Falae urges SDP members to shun events organised by Gana appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Duke was declared presidential candidate of the party after the primary election held in October 2018, but Gana immediately instituted a case against the result in court, arguing that the zoning and rotation formula of the party had been flouted.

But following the ruling, the party, alongside the National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, and Secretary, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, among other top hierarchy, were listed as appellants challenging the high court judgment at the Court of Appeal.

It was learnt that the party had turned down Gana’s request to list his name as a replacement for Duke.

“Prof Jerry Gana took the party to court and the party is appealing the judgment. As far as the party is concerned, Duke won the primary and the state chairmen are on his side. The party is not supporting Gana but a few people in the EXCO are supporting him (Gana).

“For instance, Prof Jerry Gana wanted the party to submit his application to INEC, but the party turned the request down on the grounds that they are appealing the judgment. His name is not with INEC.”

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alfa Mohammed, who declined to comment on the development, said all inquiries concerning the party should be directed to the National Vice Chairman of SDP (South), Prof Tunde Adeniran.

“Definitely you should know that the party submitted a name and the time for submission has lapsed. I do not want to comment on the development,” he said.

Attempts to speak with Adeniran to confirm if the party changed the name of its presidential candidate proved abortive as he did not return call to his mobile.

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