Federal High Court Schedules Hearing on Donald Duke’s Candidacy
The Federal High Court in Abuja has set June 29 for the next hearing in a legal dispute contesting the selection of former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke as the presidential candidate for the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the upcoming 2027 elections.
Adjournment Granted for Service of Process
Judge Mohamed Umar granted the adjournment on Monday after the plaintiff’s attorney, Abdullahi Mohammad, requested a brief postponement to facilitate the application for service of process on Duke. During the case identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, Mohammad informed the court that while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been properly served with the original summons, efforts to deliver the documents to Duke personally had been unsuccessful.
Challenge to Duke’s Nomination and Party Legitimacy
The lawsuit was initiated by PRP presidential candidate Jakub Kingsley, who is disputing the validity of Duke’s nomination by the party. Defendants named in the case include the PRP, Duke, and INEC, listed as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
Claims of Improper Nomination Process
In his initial subpoena, submitted by attorney Salaiman on June 10, Kingsley is asking the court to assess whether Duke was properly nominated following the PRP presidential primary held on May 25, with results released the following day. The plaintiffs assert that Duke was not a registered member of the party when the PRP’s membership list was submitted to INEC on May 4, thereby rendering him ineligible to participate in the primaries.
Allegations of Voter Fraud
Kingsley has raised concerns over the credibility of the primary election process, alleging instances of overvoting in certain states where the number of cast votes appeared to exceed the number of registered party members. The complaint specifies that Bauchi State reported 760 votes with only 593 registered members, while Gombe State had 1,431 votes from just 348 members. In Kwara State, the plaintiff pointed out that 82 votes were tallied even though the party had only 55 registered members at the time.
Arguments Against Duke’s Eligibility
The plaintiff further contends that Duke should not have been permitted to compete in the primaries, as he did not attend the examination at the party’s national office in Abuja, violating the party’s established guidelines. Based on these arguments, Kingsley seeks a judicial declaration asserting Duke’s ineligibility to contest and declaring his nomination as invalid.
Legal Remedies Sought by the Plaintiff
In addition, the plaintiffs are requesting that the court annul the primary election results from Bauchi, Gombe, and Kwara states, citing allegations of fraud, and declare Kingsley as the rightful winner of the party’s primaries. They aim to obtain an order restraining INEC from recognizing Duke as the PRP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, urging the Electoral Commission to remove Duke’s name from its records and endorse Kingsley instead.
The legal proceedings will resume once the issue of service on the second defendant is resolved, continuing the examination of the validity behind this pivotal political candidacy.
