A Federal High Court in Abuja will hear arguments Monday in a case challenging Donald Duke's selection as the Peoples Redemption Party's presidential candidate. Duke, a former Cross River governor, emerged from the party's primary in May.
Yakubu Kingsley filed the suit. He also ran for the PRP presidential ticket and lost during the primary contest.
Kingsley's lawyer, D.A. Sulyman, is seeking three main reliefs from the court.
The claims center on alleged over-voting and questions about Duke's membership status within the party.
Court documents show the case was filed June 10, 2026. It's been assigned to Justice Mohammed Umar for Monday's hearing.
PRP, Duke, and the Independent National Electoral Commission are listed as respondents. Both sides have received notification of the proceedings.
In his lawsuit, Kingsley argues Duke shouldn't have been declared winner of the May 25 primary. He notes Duke wasn't registered as a party member on May 4, when PRP submitted its membership list to INEC.
Kingsley points to voting irregularities in three states. In Bauchi, he says 760 votes were cast despite only 593 registered members existing.
Gombe State presents a starker discrepancy. Records show 348 registered members but 1,431 votes cast, according to Kingsley's court filing.
Kwara State also saw questionable numbers. Just 55 members were registered there, yet 82 votes were recorded, the plaintiff claims.
Kingsley isn't asking the court to cancel the entire primary election. Instead, he wants specific remedies against Duke's candidacy.
He's requesting a declaration that Duke couldn't legally participate. Since Duke wasn't a registered member, Kingsley argues, he shouldn't have been cleared to run.
Kingsley also claims Duke never attended mandatory screening at party headquarters. PRP guidelines required physical appearance for screening, he told the court.
The plaintiff wants the Bauchi, Gombe, and Kwara results nullified. Over-voting in those states, he argues, invalidates those results.
Kingsley seeks to be declared PRP's actual presidential candidate instead. He states he followed all party guidelines and maintained his membership throughout.
He's also asked the court to bar INEC from recognizing Duke. According to Kingsley, the commission should delete Duke's name from its database.
Additionally, Kingsley wants INEC to officially recognize him as the party's flagbearer. His affidavit confirms his PRP membership card number as 2A8D8B20B2.
Kingsley describes himself as a politician based in Auchi III Ward, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. He currently resides in Abuja.
Monday's proceedings will test whether Duke met all legal requirements for candidacy. The court's decision could reshape PRP's 2027 electoral strategy.
