Rivers APC has dismissed calls to disqualify Chinda after a Supreme Court verdict on party membership and a letter from ALDRAP to INEC
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has dismissed concerns over the eligibility of its 2027 governorship candidate, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, after a Supreme Court judgment.
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The apex court delivered the ruling on 24 September 2026. It stressed compliance with Section 77(5) and (6) of the Electoral Act, which requires parties to submit a verified membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission at least 21 days before their primaries.
That decision has fuelled argument over whether Chinda can stand for governor in Rivers on the APC platform in 2027.
Chinda, a member of the House of Representatives, registered with the APC on 27 April 2026.
He announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party and his defection to the APC on the House floor on 2 June 2026.
That announcement came after he had been declared winner of the APC primary held on 21 May.
Some opponents and legal commentators say a sitting lawmaker’s defection should count from the day it is announced in the House.
Calls have circulated online for INEC to disqualify Chinda, an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The Association of Legislative Drafting Practitioners wrote to INEC on 26 September 2026 asking for Chinda’s immediate removal from the 2027 race.
The letter was signed by the group’s Executive Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja.
ALDRAP is the plaintiff in a pending suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/972/2026.
The listed respondents are INEC, Abdul Mahmud, the APC, the APC national chairman, Chinda and Mariana Ajibola.
In that case ALDRAP is asking the court to disqualify Chinda and APC candidates for the Rivers State House of Assembly election.
The group also queried the makeup of the APC Rivers governorship and House of Assembly appeal committee, saying it was filled with friends of Wike and colleagues of Chinda in the National Assembly.
Its letter to INEC further questioned the status of the APC governorship nomination, the membership register rules, records sent to the commission and what INEC must do to give effect to the Supreme Court judgment.
Rivers APC Publicity Secretary Ikenga Chibike rejected the concerns on Sunday.
He said the judgment requires a candidate to have been a party member for at least 21 days before a primary, and that Chinda registered 24 days before the APC vote.
“There is no atom of truth in that. They said 21 days, and Hon. Chinda’s timing was 24 days when you calculate it,” Chibike told Daily Post.
“So, we have no challenges with our party candidate. We are praying that the Rainbow Coalition endorsement should be him, then we move on to winning the election.”
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The court case is still pending. INEC has not announced a decision on the request.
