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A crisis may be brewing among the opposition People’s Redemption Party (PRP) as presidential candidate, Yakubu Kingsley has approached the Federal High Court to seek to remove former Governor Donal Duke as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Kingsley, who opposed the emergence of the former governor of Cross River State as the party’s presidential flag bearer, claimed Duke was not a member of the party within the time required by law, and that he did not take part in the party’s screening exercise of potential candidates.
In the lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, Kingsley through his lawyer, DA Sulyman, filed a lawsuit against PRP, Duke and the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) as the first, second and third defendants respectively.
The aggrieved candidate asked the court to invalidate Duke’s appearance as the party’s flag bearer, alleging that the former governor was not a registered member of the party at the time required by law and party regulations.
In a preliminary summons filed on June 10, Kingsley asked the court to determine whether Duke was validly returned as the PRP’s presidential candidate in the May 25 primary election, the results of which were announced on May 26, despite allegedly not being a registered member of the party on May 4 when the PRP’s membership list was submitted to INEC.
He also questioned the legitimacy of votes recorded during primaries in several states, and alleged incidents of excessive voting.
The plaintiff asked the court to determine “whether there was over-voting in states such as Bauchi, where the registered members of the first defendant in its membership database were 593 and the total votes cast was 760; in Gombe State, where the registered members were 348 and the number of votes cast was 1,431; and in Kwara State, where the registered members were 55 and the number of votes cast was 82, would not call for the annulment of the said primaries.”
Kingsley is seeking a declaration that Duke is ineligible to participate in the presidential primaries because he allegedly was not a registered party member at the relevant time.
He also prayed the court to declare that Duke should not have qualified in the primaries, and alleged that he failed to comply with the party’s screening guidelines by not physically appearing at the party’s national secretariat for screening.
The candidate further asked the court to set aside the results of the primary elections in Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states on the basis of alleged over-voting.
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Additionally, he urged the court to declare him as the party’s legitimate presidential candidate, arguing that he meets all the requirements set by the party and remains a registered member.
Kingsley also sought an order directing INEC not to recognize Duke as the PRP’s presidential candidate and to remove his name from the commission’s database.
He further prayed for an order compelling the electoral body to recognize him as the presidential flag bearer of his party.
In a written statement which he personally declined to support the lawsuit, Kingsley said he was a registered member of the PRP with membership card number 2A8D8B20B2 and hailed from Auchi III Ward in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
He told the court that he purchased the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms for the presidential election and paid a total of N20 million to the party.
According to him, he fulfilled all the nomination requirements and received support from the required number of party members.
“That I physically attended the presidential screening exercise conducted by the party on 15 to 19 May 2026, at the national secretariat of defendant 1 in Abuja as stated in the candidate screening checklist,” he said.
Kingsley said he had been screened and cleared to enter the May 25 presidential primary.
According to him, “To my great surprise, the name of the 2nd defendant (Duke) emerged as a candidate even though he did not physically participate in the screening exercise along with other candidates at the national secretariat of the 1st defendant.”
He alleged that Duke’s participation violated INEC regulations which require political parties to submit the names of registered members at least 21 days before the holding of primary elections.
The plaintiff challenged INEC to produce the membership list submitted by the party on May 4 to find out whether Duke was a registered member at that time.
Kingsley further alleged that several objections were raised by party members regarding Duke’s suitability prior to the primary election.
He also accused his party of conducting a primary election marred by irregularities and manipulation.
According to him, the votes recorded in several states exceeded the number of registered members in the party database.
He said, “That I firmly believe that the results declared in favor of the 2nd defendant do not represent the valid votes cast by eligible party members.
“That, when unlawful and inflated votes are excluded, I emerge as the candidate who received the highest number of valid votes in the presidential primaries.”
The Federal High Court in Abuja has set June 22 for the hearing of the suit.
