Court adjourns suit challenging Duke’s PRP presidential candidacy

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned until June 29 a suit seeking to nullify the emergence of former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, as the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party for the 2027 general elections.

Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date after counsel for the plaintiff, Abdullahi Muhammad, sought an adjournment to enable him move a motion for substituted service of court processes on Duke.

When the matter, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, came up for the first time, only the plaintiff’s counsel was present in court.

Muhammad informed the court that while the Independent National Electoral Commission had been served with the originating summons, efforts to serve Duke had been unsuccessful.

“We, therefore, pray my lord for a short adjournment in order to move a motion for a substituted service on the 2nd defendant (Duke),” he said.

Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until June 29 for mention and hearing of the application for substituted service.

The suit was instituted by an aggrieved PRP presidential aspirant, Dr Yakubu Kingsley, who sued the party, Duke and INEC as first to third defendants, respectively.

In the originating summons filed on June 10 by his lawyer, D.A. Sulyman, Kingsley is asking the court to determine whether Duke was validly returned as the party’s presidential candidate in the May 25 primary election, having allegedly not been a registered member of the PRP when the party submitted its membership register to INEC on May 4.

The plaintiff also questioned the validity of the primary election, alleging over-voting in some states.

“Whether over voting in states like Bauchi, where the registered members of the 1st defendant in its membership database is 593 and the total votes cast was 760, in Gombe State the registered member was 348 and the votes cast was 1,431 and in Kwara State, the registered members is 55 while the vote cast was 82 votes, will not call for the nullification of the said primary election,” he asked.

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Kingsley is seeking a declaration that Duke was ineligible to participate in the primary election and ought not to have been cleared to contest, having allegedly failed to physically appear for screening at the party’s national secretariat.

He also prayed the court to set aside the results from Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states over alleged over-voting and declare him the PRP presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

The plaintiff further sought an order directing INEC not to recognise Duke as the party’s presidential flagbearer and to instead recognise him as the PRP’s candidate.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, Kingsley said he is a registered member of the PRP and purchased the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms for N20m.

“That I physically attended the presidential screening exercise conducted by the party between 15th and 19th May, 2026 at the National Secretariat of the 1st defendant in Abuja as stipulated in the Aspirants Checklist for Sereening, a copy of which is herewith attached and marked as Exhibit ‘BB,’” he stated.

He added, “to my utmost surprise, the name of the 2nd defendant (Duke) appeared as an aspirant despite the fact that he did not physically participate in the screening exercise together with other aspirants at the National Secretariat of the 1st defendant.”

Kingsley alleged that the primary election was marred by widespread irregularities and manipulation, insisting that the result declared in Duke’s favour did not reflect the lawful votes cast by eligible party members.

“That I verily believe that the purported result declared in favour of 2nd defendant does not represent the lawful votes cast by eligible members of the party.

“That when unlawful and inflated votes are excluded, I emerge as the aspirant who secured the highest lawful votes in the presidential primary election.

“That I depose to this affidavit in good faith believing the contents to be true and correct in accordance with the Oaths Act,” he said.