PRP Presidential Ticket in Jeopardy as Aggrieved Aspirant Sues Donald Duke Over 2027 Nomination

A presidential aspirant of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Yakubu Kingsley, has launched a legal challenge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the victory of former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

In the lawsuit, filed through his legal counsel, Kingsley names the PRP, Duke, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants. The plaintiff is seeking a court order to invalidate Duke’s victory at the May 25 primary election, claiming the former governor was not a registered member of the party when its official membership register was submitted to INEC on May 4.

Furthermore, Kingsley alleges significant voting irregularities and over-voting during the primaries across several states. He points to substantial discrepancies where the total votes cast drastically exceeded the number of registered party members in specific databases, notably in Bauchi, Gombe, and Kwara states.

The plaintiff also claims that Duke should have been disqualified prior to the ballot for failing to comply with mandatory party screening guidelines, specifically by not appearing physically at the national secretariat in Abuja for the vetting exercise. Kingsley, who claims to have fulfilled all criteria and paid ₦20 million for his expression of interest and nomination forms, argues that once unlawful and inflated votes are excluded, he is the rightful winner of the primary.

He is asking the court to compel INEC to withdraw recognition from Duke and instead register him as the valid PRP presidential candidate. Justice Mohammed Umar has scheduled the suit for its first hearing on Monday, June 22.