Court Hears Suit Challenging Donald Duke's PRP Presidential Candidacy

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, will begin hearing a suit today that challenges the emergence of former Cross River Governor Donald Duke as the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 general election.

The suit, brought by aggrieved aspirant Yakubu Muhammed Kingsley and filed by his lawyer D.A. Sulyman, lists the PRP, Duke and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first, second and third defendants respectively.

In the complaint, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, Kingsley asks the court to determine whether Duke was duly returned as the PRP presidential candidate in the May 25 primary election, whose results were declared on May 26, given that Duke was not a registered party member as of May 4 when the PRP’s membership register was submitted to INEC.

He also requests the court to decide whether over‑voting in states such as Bauchi—where the registered members of the first defendant in its membership database were 593 and the total votes cast were 760—Gombe—where the registered member was 348 and the votes cast were 1,431—and Kwara—where the registered members were 55 and the votes cast were 82—should lead to nullification of the primary election.

According to the plaintiff, if the court answers these questions affirmatively, it should declare that the former governor, not being a registered PRP member, cannot have participated in the party’s primary on May 25, where he was declared the winner on May 26.

He also seeks a declaration that Duke should not have been cleared for the presidential primary because he did not comply with the party’s guidelines for physical presence at the screening at its national secretariat.

Consequently, Kingsley asks the court to order the results of the presidential primary in Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara to be set aside on the grounds of over‑voting.

He further prays for an order declaring him the PRP presidential candidate, having complied with all party guidelines and been a registered member.

The plaintiff also requests the court to direct INEC not to recognise Duke as the PRP presidential flag bearer or to delete his name from its database, and to direct the electoral umpire to recognise Kingsley as the party’s presidential candidate.

In his affidavit supporting the suit, Kingsley claims that he physically attended the presidential screening exercise conducted by the party between May 15–19, 2026 at the National Secretariat of the PRP in Abuja, as stipulated in the Aspirants Checklist for Screening. A copy of the checklist is attached as Exhibit ‘BB.’

He states that he was duly screened and cleared by the party to contest the presidential primary on May 25.

He further says that, to his surprise, the name of the second defendant, Duke, appeared as an aspirant despite Duke not physically participating in the screening exercise with other aspirants at the National Secretariat.

Kingsley argues that this contravenes INEC’s existing regulations and guidelines, which require political parties to submit the names of their registered members at least 21 days before conducting the party’s primary.

He challenged the electoral umpire to produce the membership register submitted as of May 4.

He alleges that several party members raised objections and complaints about Duke’s eligibility.

Additionally, the aggrieved aspirant claims that the presidential primary election was marred by widespread irregularities and manipulation.

He states that in several states, the votes returned exceeded the total number of eligible registered members listed in the party register.