Court to Hear Suit Challenging Donald Duke's Presidential Candidacy

A legal challenge has been mounted against former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke's emergence as the presidential candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the upcoming 2027 general elections. The Federal High Court in Abuja is set to hear a suit filed by aspirant Yakubu Kingsley, which questions Duke's eligibility to contest.

The case, filed on June 10 and assigned to Judge Mohammed Umar, centers on allegations that Duke was not a registered member of the PRP at the time the party submitted its membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on May 4. The hearing is scheduled for Monday, with parties to the suit having already been served notices.

Kingsley, represented by lawyer D.A. Sulyman, is suing the PRP, Duke, and INEC. The plaintiff seeks a determination from the court on whether Duke was validly nominated as the PRP's presidential candidate in the May 25 primary election, given his alleged lack of registered membership. The suit also points to alleged over-voting in states like Bauchi, Gombe, and Kwara, where vote counts reportedly exceeded the number of registered party members.

Consequently, Kingsley is asking the court to nullify the primary election results based on these irregularities. He also seeks a declaration that Duke, not being a registered PRP member, should not have participated in the primary. Furthermore, Kingsley wants the court to set aside the election results from the contested states and declare him the PRP's presidential candidate, asserting that he complied with all party guidelines and is a registered member. He also requests an order directing INEC not to recognize Duke as the PRP's flagbearer.