By John Azu
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed June 29 for further proceedings in a suit challenging 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 election.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter on Monday after counsel to the plaintiff, Abdullahi Muhammad, sought a short adjournment to enable him file an application for substituted service of court processes on Duke.
When the matter, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, came up for mention, Muhammad informed the court that while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been duly served with the originating summons, efforts to personally serve Duke had been unsuccessful.
Following the submission, Justice Umar adjourned the case until June 29 for mention and hearing of the application for substituted service.
The suit was filed by a fellow PRP presidential aspirant, Yakubu Kingsley, who is challenging the validity of Duke’s nomination by the party.
Named as defendants in the suit are the PRP, Donald Duke and INEC as first, second and third defendants, respectively.
In the originating summons filed on June 10 by his counsel, D.A. Sulyman, Kingsley is asking the court to determine whether Duke was validly nominated as the party’s presidential candidate following the PRP presidential primary conducted on May 25, with the result announced the following day.
The plaintiff contends that Duke was not a registered member of the party at the time the PRP membership register was submitted to INEC on May 4, and therefore lacked the legal qualification to participate in the primary election.
Kingsley also challenged the credibility of the exercise, alleging widespread over-voting in some states where the number of votes cast reportedly exceeded the party’s registered membership strength.
According to the suit, Bauchi State recorded 760 votes despite having 593 registered members, while Gombe State allegedly produced 1,431 votes from a membership base of 348. In Kwara State, the plaintiff claimed that 82 votes were recorded even though the party had only 55 registered members.
The plaintiff further argued that Duke ought not to have been cleared to contest the primary on the grounds that he allegedly failed to physically appear for screening at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, contrary to provisions of the party’s guidelines.
Based on the claims, Kingsley is seeking a declaration that Duke was ineligible to contest the primary election and that his nomination as the PRP presidential candidate is invalid.
He is also asking the court to nullify the results recorded in Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states over the alleged irregularities and declare him the lawful winner of the party’s presidential primary.
In addition, the plaintiff is seeking an order restraining INEC from recognising Duke as the PRP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election and directing the electoral commission to remove his name from its records and recognise Kingsley instead.
The case is expected to proceed once issues relating to service of court processes on the second defendant are resolved.