2027: Court Hears Suit Challenging Donald Duke’s Emergence As PRP Candidate Monday

A legal challenge has been filed against Donald Duke's nomination as the presidential candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2027 general election. The Federal High Court in Abuja is set to hear the suit, brought by an aggrieved aspirant, Yakubu Muhammed Kingsley.

Kingsley's lawsuit questions the validity of Duke's emergence as the PRP's presidential candidate, citing concerns over Duke's party membership status. The plaintiff argues that Duke was not a registered member by May 4, the deadline for submitting the party's membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The suit also raises allegations of overvoting in states like Bauchi, Gombe, and Kwara, where the number of votes cast reportedly exceeded the registered party membership.

The plaintiff is asking the court to determine if Duke was duly returned as the candidate given these circumstances. If the court finds in favor of Kingsley's arguments, he seeks a declaration that Duke, not being a registered member, was ineligible to participate in the primary election. Kingsley also wants the court to nullify the primary election results in the aforementioned states due to alleged overvoting.

Furthermore, Kingsley prays for an order declaring him the presidential candidate of the PRP, asserting that he complied with all party guidelines and is a registered member. He also seeks directives for INEC to not recognize Duke as the PRP's standard-bearer and to instead recognize Kingsley as the party's presidential candidate. Kingsley's affidavit details his attendance and clearance at the party's presidential screening exercise.