Court to Hear Suit Challenging Duke’s PRP Candidacy
The Federal High Court in Abuja is scheduled to hear, on Monday, a lawsuit that contests the emergence of former Rivers State Governor Donald Duke as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 general election.
Justice Mohammed Umar has fixed the matter for hearing, and notices have already been served to all parties involved.
Details of the Plaintiff’s Claims
The plaintiff, identified as Kingsley, has named the PRP, Donald Duke, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
He is asking the court to determine whether Duke was validly returned as the PRP presidential candidate following the party’s primary held on May 25, 2026, with results announced the next day.
Kingsley alleges that Duke was not a registered member of the PRP as of May 4, 2026, the date the party submitted its membership register to INEC.
Furthermore, he claims Duke should not have been cleared to participate in the primary because he allegedly failed to appear for the mandatory physical screening at the party’s national secretariat.
Allegations of Over‑voting in Several States
The plaintiff also points to apparent over‑voting in Bauchi, Gombe, and Kwara states. According to his affidavit:
- Bauchi: 593 registered members versus 760 votes recorded.
- Gombe: 348 registered members versus 1,431 votes recorded.
- Kwara: 55 registered members versus 82 votes recorded.
Kingsley requests that the court nullify the results from these three states.
Plaintiff’s Request for Relief
He seeks an order declaring himself the legitimate PRP presidential candidate, arguing that he fulfilled all party guidelines, was a registered member, and possessed membership card number 2A8D8B20B2.
Kingsley says he purchased the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for ₦20 million and satisfied every nomination requirement.
He avers that he attended the presidential screening exercise held between May 15 and May 19, 2026, at the PRP national secretariat in Abuja, as stipulated in the Aspirants Checklist for Screening, and was cleared to contest the primary.
According to the plaintiff, Duke’s name later appeared as an aspirant despite allegedly not taking part in the physical screening process.
Allegations of Primary Irregularities
Kingsley contends that the primary was marred by irregularities and manipulation. He stated:
“I verily believe that the purported result declared in favour of the second defendant does not represent the lawful votes cast by eligible members of the party. When unlawful and inflated votes are excluded, I emerge as the aspirant who secured the highest lawful votes in the presidential primary election.”
He affirmed that the affidavit was filed in good faith, believing its contents to be true.
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