A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, slated July 7 for hearing in a suit seeking to void the emergence of former Gov. Donald Duke of Cross Rivers as presidential candidate of People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
An aggrieved PRP’s presidential aspirant, Dr Yakubu Kingsley, had sued the party, the former governor and INEC as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026 and filed on June 10.
When the matter was called, counsel for the plaintiff, Felix Ipogah, informed the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, that the case which was meant to get leave to serve Duke the required court documents notifying him of the pending lawsuit.
The lawyer then informed the court that it has become unnecessary as the party’s presidential candidate has filed a preliminary objection to the suit alongside an affidavit, making an all clear for the main case to get underway.
Ipogah thereby withdrew his ex parte application which was promptly struck out by the judge, who further ordered counsel to the plaintiff to ensure service of hearing notices on the respondents – PRP, Donald Duke and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – to be aware of July 7 the next date for the hearing of the matter.
Kingsley, who contested the PRP presidential primary held on May 25, 2026 (with results declared the following day), instituted the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026 on June 10, with the PRP, Donald Duke and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 3rd defendants.
In the originating summons and supporting affidavit, Kingsley claims he fulfilled all nomination requirements, paid N20 million for expression of interest and nomination forms, secured necessary endorsements, and was duly screened and cleared by the party.
He alleges that Duke was not listed as a registered member of the PRP in the membership register submitted to INEC on May 4, 2026 — a deadline tied to INEC regulations requiring parties to submit such registers at least 21 days before primaries.
Kingsley further contends that Duke did not physically participate in the party’s screening exercise conducted at the national secretariat between May 15 and 19, 2026, and that several objections to his eligibility were raised but disregarded.
The plaintiff highlighted alleged over-voting in specific states: in Bauchi, 760 votes were recorded against 593 registered members; in Gombe, 1,431 votes against 348 members; and in Kwara, 82 votes against 55 members and argued that excluding these irregularities, would position him as the candidate with the highest lawful votes.
Kingsley is seeking several declarations and orders, including the nullification of Duke’s nomination, setting aside results from the affected states, a declaration of himself as the valid PRP flagbearer, and directives to INEC not to recognize Duke.
The PRP had screened and cleared three presidential aspirants — Duke, Dr. Nnaoke Ufere, and Kingsley — before conducting its primary. The party’s National Working Committee later affirmed Duke as the candidate following a review by its Primaries Appeal Committee.
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