Junaid Mohammed drops out as Donald Duke's running mate

Junaid Mohammed has dropped out as the running mate of the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Donald Duke.

The Second Republic lawmaker revealed on Thursday, December 13, 2018 that he made the decision due to 'many hassles' in the party.

"It is true. I stepped down a while ago because of the many hassles," he told The Punch.

He noted that he also resigned as the SDP's deputy national chairman and has notified both Duke and the party's national chairman, Chief Olu Falae, about his decision.

Mohammed's decision is bound to be a setback for Duke's presidential campaign after the party announced on Tuesday, December 11 that its campaign will commence next week.

The party also quit its association with the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) this week after the coalition endorsed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, as its consensus candidate.

On July 9, 2018, dozens of political parties had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to oust the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

According to the terms of the MoU, the coalition resolved to back a single presidential candidate to oust Buhari and promised a unity government with a joint manifesto that will usher in great governance.

The party protested that the decision to endorse Atiku did not follow due process as previously agreed.

"For the avoidance of doubt, the SDP will never collapse into any party as it is the choice of Nigerians in the 2019 elections," the party's spokesperson, Alpha Mohammed, said in a statement.

Duke, a former Cross River State governor, joined the SDP in September after 20 years of PDP membership and has been a vocal critic of the party getting back in power. He will contest against 78 other candidates in the February 16, 2019 presidential election.

Chief among his opponents are Atiku, a former vice president, and incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Others include Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Obiageli Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and many more.