The court held that the stage was statute-barred, Naija News reports.
Justice Umar upheld the preliminary objections filed by Duke and the PRP challenging the competence of the case.
The judge held that the suit was a pre-election concern and should have been filed indoors the 14-day period provided under Portion 285(9) of the Constitution.
Kingsley had argued that the 14-day period should launch from June 6, when the party’s attract committee communicated its decision on his interest.
Justice Umar rejected the argument and held that the case was filed outdoors the constitutional time restrict.
The judge hence declined jurisdiction to hear the concern, having found that the suit was statute-barred.
Justice Umar, still, went ahead to analysis the issues raised by Kingsley and too dismissed the case on its merits.
One of the primary issues raised by the plaintiff was Duke’s membership of the PRP.
Kingsley had argued that Duke was not a registered associate of the party when the PRP submitted its membership register to the Self-satisfactory Countrywide Electoral Commission (INEC) on May 4.
But Justice Umar held that membership of a political party is an internal problem of the party and is not justiciable in the circumstances of the case.
The judge too rejected Kingsley’s argument that Duke was not competent to contest the key as he allegedly failed to appear physically for screening at the party’s statewide secretariat.
According to the judge, whilst Kingsley referred to the PRP’s guidelines which he claimed Duke violated, he failed to produce the guidelines earlier than the court.
Kingsley had moreover challenged the results of the PRP opening in Bauchi, Gombe and Kwara states over alleged over-voting.
He asked the court to cancel the results from the three states and announce him the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Justice Umar, still, held that Kingsley failed to propose sufficient evidence to establish the allegation of over-voting.
The plaintiff had moreover asked the court to manage INEC not to acknowledge Duke as the PRP presidential candidate and instead identify him as the party’s candidate.
Kingsley had filed the suit against the PRP, Duke and INEC later than the May 25 presidential principal.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to finish former Cross River Condition Governor, Donald Duke, from contesting the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
Justice Mohammed Umar dismissed the suit filed by an aggrieved PRP presidential aspirant, Yakubu Kingsley, later than ruling that the case was filed outdoors the time allowed by law for pre-election matters.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1234/2026, was filed on June 10, 2026, later than the consequence of the PRP presidential key held on May 25 was announced on May 26.
Source: Court Declines Suit Seeking To Stop Donald Duke’s PRP Candidacy
