RismadarVoice Reporters, June 29, 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 7, 2026, for the commencement of hearing in a suit challenging the emergence of former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 general election.
Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date on Monday after counsel to the plaintiff, Felix Ipogah, withdrew an ex parte application seeking leave to serve court processes on Duke.
Ipogah informed the court that the application had become unnecessary following Duke’s filing of a preliminary objection and supporting affidavit in response to the suit.
The judge subsequently struck out the application and directed the plaintiff to serve hearing notices on the three defendants—the PRP, Donald Duke and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)—ahead of the next adjourned date.
The suit was instituted by an aggrieved PRP presidential aspirant, Yakubu Kingsley, who is seeking to nullify Duke’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.
Kingsley, who contested the party’s presidential primary held on May 25, 2026, alleged that Duke failed to meet the party’s eligibility requirements, including valid membership registration and compliance with its screening guidelines.
He also accused the PRP of conducting a flawed primary election allegedly characterised by widespread irregularities, including over-voting in Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states.
According to the plaintiff, Bauchi State recorded 760 votes despite having only 593 registered party members, while Gombe returned 1,431 votes against a membership register of 348. He further alleged that Kwara recorded 82 votes from a register containing only 55 members.
Kingsley is asking the court to nullify Duke’s nomination, set aside the results from the affected states, declare him the valid PRP presidential candidate and restrain INEC from recognising Duke as the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 presidential election.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, the plaintiff maintained that he satisfied all nomination requirements, paid ₦20 million for the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms, obtained the required endorsements, and was duly screened and cleared by the party.
He further alleged that Duke’s name was absent from the PRP membership register submitted to INEC on May 4, 2026, being the statutory deadline for political parties to submit their membership registers ahead of party primaries.
Kingsley also claimed that Duke did not physically participate in the party’s screening exercise conducted between May 15 and May 19, 2026, despite objections allegedly raised regarding his eligibility.
The latest development follows an earlier adjournment granted to enable the plaintiff to effect service of court processes on Duke after counsel informed the court that while INEC had been served, attempts to personally serve the former governor had been unsuccessful.
However, with Duke not entering an appearance by filing a preliminary objection, the matter is set for substantive hearing on July 7, 2026.
