The governorship ambition of Rivers State APC candidate, Kingsley Chinda, has come under renewed scrutiny following claims that his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not completed before he emerged as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.
A group of lawyers operating under the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) said the formal announcement of Chinda’s defection at the House of Representatives on Tuesday strengthens their argument that he should be disqualified from contesting the governorship poll.
The controversy stems from the timing of Chinda’s move to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, won the APC governorship primary election in Rivers State on May 21, 2026. However, his resignation from the PDP and defection to the APC were only officially announced during plenary at the National Assembly on June 2.
During Tuesday’s sitting, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read a letter from Chinda notifying lawmakers of his resignation from the PDP and his decision to join the APC. The letter also confirmed his resignation as Minority Leader of the House, a position traditionally occupied by a member of the main opposition party.
Although the letter was dated April 23, 2026, suggesting that Chinda had switched parties before the APC primary election, ALDRAP maintains that the legal process of defection was not completed until the announcement was made on the floor of the House.
According to the lawyers, decisions of the Supreme Court have established that a legislator’s defection becomes effective only after it is formally communicated during plenary by the presiding officer.
In a statement issued shortly after the announcement, the group described the development as a “belated defection” and argued that it raises serious constitutional and electoral concerns.
ALDRAP is already before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Chinda as the APC governorship candidate for Rivers State.
The group has also submitted a fresh Freedom of Information request to INEC, demanding access to the APC membership register as it existed on May 10, 2026.
The lawyers argued that the document is crucial to determining whether Chinda was a registered member of the APC before the party submitted its membership register to the electoral commission ahead of the primary election.
In a letter signed by its Administrative Secretary, Jesse Williams Amuga, ALDRAP insisted that Chinda’s candidacy may have violated provisions of both the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The group contended that if the lawmaker officially joined the APC after the party submitted its register to INEC, questions would arise regarding his eligibility to participate in the governorship primary that produced him as the party’s flag bearer.
ALDRAP further argued that there is no publicly available evidence showing when Chinda’s resignation from the PDP was accepted at the ward level or when he was formally admitted into the APC through the party’s recognised structures in Rivers State.
The lawyers also pointed to the ongoing leadership dispute within the APC in Rivers State. They noted that a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on May 29, 2026, recognised the faction led by Emeka Beke as the legitimate leadership of the party in the state.
According to the group, Chinda’s political alignment was with the faction headed by Tony Okocha, raising additional questions about the validity of his membership status.
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