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Kenneth Atavti
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, moved to June 29, 2026 a suit seeking to stop the emergence of former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, as the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 general poll.
Presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date after counsel to the plaintiff, Abdullahi Muhammad, requested a short adjournment to enable him to move an application for substituted service of court documents on Duke.
When the matter, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, came up for the first time, only the plaintiff’s lawyer was present in court.
Muhammad informed the court that while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been properly served with the originating summons, efforts to serve Duke had proved unsuccessful.
“We, therefore, pray my lord for a short adjournment in order to move a motion for a substituted service on the 2nd defendant (Duke),” he said.
Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter to June 29, 2026 for mention and hearing of the application for substituted service.
The suit was instituted by an aggrieved PRP presidential aspirant, Yakubu Kingsley, who listed the PRP, Duke and INEC as first, second and third defendants, respectively.
In the originating summons filed on June 10 by D.A. Sulyman, Kingsley asked the court to determine whether Duke was validly returned as the party’s presidential candidate following the May 25 primary election, whose result was announced on May 26, despite allegedly not being a registered member of the party when the PRP membership register was submitted to INEC on May 4, 2026.
He claimed that in Bauchi State, where the party allegedly had 593 registered members, 760 votes were recorded, while in Gombe State, 1,431 votes were cast despite having only 348 registered members.
He further alleged that in Kwara State, 82 votes were recorded against a membership strength of 55.
Kingsley asked the court to declare that Duke, not being a registered member of the party as of May 4, was ineligible to participate in the presidential primary.
He also sought a declaration that Duke ought not to have been cleared for the contest because he allegedly failed to physically appear for screening at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, contrary to party guidelines.
The plaintiff urged the court to set aside the results from Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states over alleged over-voting and declare him the lawful presidential candidate of the PRP for the 2027 poll.
He further requested an order directing INEC not to recognise Duke as the party’s candidate and to delete his name from its records, while recognising him instead.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Kingsley, who identified himself as a politician from Auchi III Ward in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, said he is a registered member of the PRP with membership card number 2A8D8B20B2.
He stated that he paid N20 million for the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms and fulfilled all requirements for the contest.
According to him, he physically attended the presidential screening exercise conducted between May 15 and May 19, 2026, and was subsequently cleared to contest.
“To my utmost surprise, the name of the 2nd defendant (Duke) appeared as an aspirant despite the fact that he did not physically participate in the screening exercise together with other aspirants at the National Secretariat of the 1st defendant,” Kingsley stated.
He argued that this violated INEC regulations requiring political parties to submit names of registered members at least 21 days before conducting primaries.
Kingsley challenged INEC to produce the PRP membership register submitted on May 4 and alleged that numerous objections were raised by party members over Duke’s eligibility.
He further alleged that the primary election was marred by widespread irregularities and manipulation, claiming that votes recorded in some states exceeded the number of eligible members.
According to him, some of his agents and representatives were prevented from participating effectively during collation.
“That I verily believe that the purported result declared in favour of the 2nd defendant does not represent the lawful votes cast by eligible members of the party.
“That when unlawful and inflated votes are excluded, I emerge as the aspirant who secured the highest lawful votes in the presidential primary election,” the affidavit read.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to June 29, 2026.
