Court adjourns suit challenging Donald Duke's PRP presidential candidacy

A legal challenge has been mounted against Donald Duke's nomination as the presidential candidate for Nigeria's People's Redemption Party (PRP) in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the case to June 29, following a request by the plaintiff's counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, for more time to serve court processes on Duke. The suit, filed by an aggrieved PRP presidential aspirant, Dr. Yakubu Kingsley, aims to nullify Duke's candidacy. The court's initial hearing saw only the plaintiff's lawyer present, as efforts to personally serve Duke had been unsuccessful.

Kingsley's lawsuit, instituted against the PRP, Duke, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), questions the validity of Duke's nomination. The core of the challenge lies in the allegation that Duke was not a registered member of the PRP at the time the party submitted its membership register to INEC on May 4. Furthermore, the plaintiff disputes the integrity of the primary election held on May 25, citing instances of alleged over-voting in several states.

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

Specific concerns raised in the originating summons include discrepancies in states like Bauchi, where 760 votes were cast despite only 593 registered members, and Gombe, with 1,431 votes against 348 registered members. Kwara State also showed a similar anomaly with 82 votes cast against 55 registered members. Kingsley is seeking a declaration that Duke was ineligible to contest the primary and that the election results from these states should be nullified. He also contends that Duke failed to physically appear for screening at the party's national secretariat.

The plaintiff is asking the court to declare him the PRP's presidential candidate for 2027 and to direct INEC not to recognize Duke as the party's flagbearer. Kingsley, who claims to be a registered PRP member, stated in an affidavit that he purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms for N20 million.

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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.