The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday restored a former governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke as the authentic presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Before delivering the judgment, the Court also set aside the judgment of an Abuja High Court which declared Prof. Jerry Gana as the presidential candidate of the party.

Recall that Duke had polled a total of 812 votes as against the 611 garnered by Gana during the party’s primaries. The party then forwarded Duke’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, Gana approached the High Court alleging that Duke’s emergence contravened the party’s constitution which provides that the National Chairman of the party could not come from the same zone with its presidential aspirant.