PRP primary crisis has intensified after the presidential campaign organisation of Dr Nnaoke Ufere rejected the outcome of the Peoples Redemption Party presidential primary election held on May 25, 2026. The campaign alleged widespread irregularities, vote inflation, and administrative failures during the exercise that produced former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, as the party’s presidential candidate.
In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by Ishaq Alhassan, Executive Director of the Ufere2027 Presidential Campaign, the organisation accused party officials of manipulating election figures beyond the limits of the official membership register earlier submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission on May 4, 2026.
According to the campaign, the membership register was agreed upon by all parties before voting commenced and should have served as the maximum number of eligible voters during the primary election.
The campaign presented state-by-state figures to support its allegations. In Gombe State, it claimed that a register containing 348 members produced 1,431 declared votes, representing what it described as a 311 percent inflation and over 1,000 “phantom” ballots.
In Bauchi State, the campaign alleged that 593 registered members produced 760 votes, while Kwara State reportedly recorded 82 votes from a register of only 55 members. Across the three states, the campaign claimed that 996 registered members produced 2,273 votes, leaving 1,277 ballots allegedly unaccounted for on the party’s approved register.
“A register is a ceiling. Turnout cannot exceed 100 per cent of the people allowed to vote. Every vote beyond the register is, by definition, a vote that should never have been counted,” the statement said.
The PRP primary crisis further escalated as the Ufere campaign questioned the emergence of Donald Duke, alleging that the former governor joined the party only days before the primary election after defecting from another political platform.
The campaign also claimed Duke did not publicly campaign during the contest and was reportedly outside Nigeria while voting was taking place. It further alleged that Duke offered to refund rival aspirants’ campaign expenses if they agreed to step aside and support his emergence as a consensus candidate.
By contrast, the campaign said Ufere actively campaigned across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, sponsored voter registration activities, funded women mobilisation programmes, and provided logistics support for grassroots party members.
“A candidate who made that level of visible investment in party mobilization being defeated by a candidate who neither campaigned nor participated openly in the process raises serious questions that demand credible answers,” the statement added.
The campaign also alleged that some individuals demanded millions of naira in exchange for delivering votes to Ufere. It claimed the Harvard-educated venture capitalist refused all such requests because of his anti-corruption stance.
According to the statement, some contestants allegedly paid more than ₦500,000 to PRP state chairmen to secure votes during the primary process. The campaign argued that the refusal to engage in vote-buying contributed to the outcome of the election.
“The lesson of this primary is stark: the aspirant who would not buy votes was defeated by votes that were bought or fabricated,” the statement noted.
The PRP primary crisis deepened further with allegations of administrative failures on election day. The campaign claimed that INEC officials were absent or delayed in several locations, including the FCT, where members reportedly waited for about five hours before accreditation commenced.
It also alleged that funds approved for the election never reached several states and local government areas, blaming the development on PRP National Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed. The statement claimed that the funding shortfall forced contestants to provide money directly to electoral officials for accommodation, food, and logistics, compromising the credibility of the process.
The Ufere campaign rejected what it described as attempts to replace the original INEC-approved membership register with a new register dated May 25, 2026, containing 12,378 members compared to the earlier 7,787-member register submitted to INEC. The campaign argued that the increase of 4,591 members represented a 59 percent rise after election rules had already been established.
As part of its demands, the campaign called for the immediate suspension of collation and declaration of any presidential nominee, a forensic audit of all votes against the May 4 INEC-approved register, publication of complete state-by-state voting figures, nullification of results where votes exceeded registered membership, and the conduct of a fresh presidential primary election.
It also requested investigations into alleged violence, missing election funds, and reported armed intimidation involving groups allegedly carrying knives at a polling location in the FCT.
Political observers say the PRP primary crisis could affect the party’s credibility ahead of the 2027 elections. Internal disputes surrounding primaries often weaken party cohesion and complicate mobilisation efforts, especially for smaller opposition parties seeking broader national relevance.
The controversy also highlights growing concerns about internal democracy, transparency, and election management across Nigeria’s political system as parties intensify preparations for the next election cycle.
