The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a pre-election suit filed by Engr. Yakubu Muhammad Kingsley against the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), its presidential candidate, Donald Duke, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The development was contained in a statement signed by Abdulhakeem Ago Abdullahi, Assistant National Legal Adviser of the PRP.
According to the statement, the court, in a judgment delivered on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, upheld the preliminary objection filed by the PRP and Duke, holding that Kingsley instituted the case outside the period prescribed by the Constitution.
The court also considered the substantive issues raised by the plaintiff and resolved them in favour of the respondents.
One of the issues before the court concerned an allegation that Duke was not a member of the PRP when the party conducted its presidential primary. The court held that membership of a political party constituted an internal party matter and was therefore outside its jurisdiction.
The court further found that Kingsley did not present the party’s guidelines which he claimed were violated during the screening process.
On the allegation of over-voting during the PRP presidential primary in Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states, the court held that the plaintiff failed to provide relevant documentary evidence, including the party’s membership register, accreditation records and final results from the primary.
The court consequently dismissed the suit, resolving the issues raised in the case in favour of the PRP, Duke and INEC.
The case had challenged Duke’s emergence as the PRP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. Earlier proceedings showed that Kingsley had questioned Duke’s eligibility and also alleged irregularities in the party’s May 25 presidential primary, including discrepancies between registered party members and votes recorded in Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara.
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