Duke’s PRP Ticket Faces Court Challenge

Fresh legal questions have emerged over the presidential ticket of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) after one of the party’s aspirants, Yakubu Mohammed Kingsley, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the nullification of the emergence of former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, names the PRP, Donald Duke and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first, second and third defendants respectively.

Court filings show that Kingsley is challenging the outcome of the PRP presidential primary conducted on May 25 and declared on May 26, arguing that Duke was allegedly not a registered member of the party at the legally required period before the primary election. The challenge comes barely weeks after Duke secured the party’s ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to the originating summons filed on June 10 through his lawyer, D.A. Sulyman, Kingsley asked the court to determine whether Duke was validly returned as the party’s candidate despite allegedly not being listed in the membership register submitted by the PRP to INEC on May 4.

The plaintiff also raised concerns over the conduct of the primary election, alleging cases of over voting in several states. Court documents cited Bauchi State, where the party’s membership database allegedly contained 593 registered members while 760 votes were recorded. In Gombe State, Kingsley claimed that 1,431 votes were recorded despite a membership figure of 348, while Kwara State allegedly recorded 82 votes from a membership base of 55.

He argued that such figures call into question the credibility of the primary election and urged the court to set aside the results from the affected states.

Kingsley further alleged that Duke failed to comply with the party’s screening guidelines by not physically attending the screening exercise at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. He maintained that he personally participated in the screening process conducted between May 15 and May 19 after purchasing the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms at a cost of N20 million.

In an affidavit attached to the suit, Kingsley stated that he is a registered PRP member from Auchi III Ward in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State and was duly cleared to contest the presidential primary.

The legal dispute adds another layer to growing post primary disagreements within the PRP. Records show that the party screened and cleared three aspirants for the presidential contest, namely Donald Duke, Yakubu Mohammed Kingsley and economist Dr Nnaoke Ufere.

Following the primary, Duke was declared winner with 6,499 votes, ahead of Kingsley who polled 2,699 votes and Ufere who secured 784 votes.

Kingsley is asking the court to declare him the lawful candidate of the party, direct INEC not to recognise Duke’s nomination and compel the electoral commission to recognise him instead.

Justice Mohammed Umar has fixed June 22 for hearing of the matter.