The political crisis rocking Rivers State shows no signs of slowing down as a major legal battle has erupted at an Abuja Federal High Court, aimed at stopping Kingsley Chinda from participating in the 2027 governorship election.
Chinda, a prominent ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, emerged as the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the party’s primary election held on May 21, 2026.
He stood as the sole candidate after the last-minute withdrawal of other contestants, including the incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole, and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly.
Following this development, Chinda currently holds the APC governorship ticket in Rivers State while simultaneously serving as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives—a position he occupies by virtue of his membership in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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Little was heard about the lawmaker’s defection to the APC until his name surfaced as an aspirant in the ruling party’s Rivers gubernatorial primary.
However, major legal obstacles have now emerged for the APC flagbearer. An association of lawyers, which includes members of Chinda’s own Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, has approached the Abuja Federal High Court to bar him from the 2027 poll.
They argue that his defection from the PDP to the APC violated the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, as well as Supreme Court pronouncements regarding the defection of legislators.
According to court documents obtained, the lawsuit was filed on May 12, 2026, by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners.
The suit initially sought to stop Chinda from participating in the APC primary and requested that, should he emerge as the candidate, he be barred from the general election.
The suit, filed on behalf of the plaintiff by J. B Lamay, Esq, lists Chinda, George-Kelly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the APC, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as respondents.
Beyond stopping Chinda from contesting the Rivers State governorship election, the plaintiff is asking the court to compel the Speaker of the House of Representatives to immediately strip him of his role as Minority Leader due to his dual party membership, and to declare his seat vacant.
Among the reliefs sought is an order directing INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacancy, citing Chinda’s alleged violation of Section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and the Supreme Court judgment of February 27, 2025, which outlines the legal steps for legislative defection.
Furthermore, the plaintiff asked the court to order the national leadership of the APC to reject and block Chinda and George-Kelly from participating in the primaries over Electoral Act violations.
Regarding George-Kelly, the court was informed that he failed to resign from his position as the Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency, defying a directive stating that all presidential appointees must resign by March 30, 2026, if they wish to contest elective positions in 2027.
Although George-Kelly eventually withdrew from the primary, Chinda’s newly secured ticket remains under serious threat.
Specifically, the plaintiff is seeking “an order directing INEC not to recognize or accord validity to the participation, nomination and/or candidature of the 1st and 2nd defendants/respondents (Chinda and George-Kelly) in the APC Rivers State governorship primary election” until the suit is determined.
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Detailing the grounds for the lawsuit, the plaintiff emphasized that Chinda’s switch to the APC goes against Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution and top court rulings on legislative defections.
In an affidavit supporting the originating summons, Jesse Amuga, the Administrative Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, stated that “the plaintiff reasonably believes that the continued occupation of legislative office by the 1st Defendant)/Respondent (Chinda) while simultaneously participating in APC governorship activities is unconditional, unlawful and contrary to democratic ethics and constitutional order”.
The plaintiff also revealed that back in October 2025, lawyers representing Chinda’s constituents served him a pre-action notice warning that they would initiate a recall process if he left the PDP for the APC.
According to the plaintiff, the lawmaker disregarded the warning and defected in April 2026, sparking the current legal battle.
